The Yoruba Council of Elders has condemned the abduction of pupils, students and teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esinele; and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group described the incident as an attack on the future of the South-West and the right of children to learn in a safe environment.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its Secretary-General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, the group said the attack went beyond Oyo State and represented a threat to the conscience of the nation.
“Schools must never become hunting grounds for kidnappers and bandits,” Oyewole said.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy security personnel, intelligence resources and logistics support to ensure the safe release of all abducted victims.
“In the face of this ugly occurrence, we call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately deploy special forces, intelligence assets and logistics support to ensure the safe and unconditional release of all abducted victims,” he added.
The YCE also urged governors in the South-West to strengthen collaboration and deploy all available resources to improve security across the region.
“Without gainsaying, Yorubaland cannot afford to become the next frontier of mass abduction.
“The Oyo incident is a symptom of a deeper national crisis. It is in view of this that we call for the strengthening of community and regional security architecture all across Yorubaland,” Oyewole said.
The group advised the six South-West states to improve the Amotekun security network through proper training, better equipment and legal backing for intelligence-based operations.
“It is necessary at this crucial period for the six governors in the South-West to recognise the statutory roles of the office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, along with Chief Adeniyi Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, and their immense contributions to promoting peace in Yorubaland.
“The six South-West governors should therefore engage them, along with similar indigenous security groups and other well-meaning persons and organisations in the South-West, to spread their dragnet in the protection of our territories,” Oyewole said.
The organisation further called on Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to establish a joint security task force to improve intelligence sharing among South-West states and prevent criminals from moving across borders.
“We further call on the Governor of Oyo State to quickly establish a joint security task force for real-time intelligence sharing across the six states to prevent cross-border movement of criminals,” he said.
Oyewole also stressed the need to deploy Armed School Protection Units in vulnerable local government areas, particularly communities close to forest areas.
“There should be the deployment of Armed School Protection Units in high-risk local government areas, especially those areas bordering forest spaces,” he said.
The YCE expressed sympathy with the families of the abducted victims and the slain Mathematics teacher, praying for strength for those affected by the incident.
“Our children all over Yorubaland are not to be used as collateral damage. Every day we delay this decisive action, we may lose another child’s future and another parent’s peace of mind.
“We stand with the families of the abducted students and sympathise with the family of the Mathematics teacher who was gruesomely murdered by bandits.
“We pray that the Almighty God shall grant all directly concerned the strength and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” Oyewole said.
