Lawmakers in Oyo State have rejected calls for negotiations with kidnappers following the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the state’s Oriire Local Government Area.
During a plenary session on Wednesday, the Oyo State House of Assembly urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue those still being held captive and restore security in affected communities.
Speaker of the House, Adebo Ogundoyin, said negotiating with kidnappers could encourage further criminal activity and strengthen terrorist and kidnapping networks operating in the state.
He acknowledged the anxiety and frustration of families whose relatives remain in captivity but stressed that authorities should focus on intelligence gathering, security operations and coordinated rescue missions rather than paying ransom or engaging in talks with the abductors.
“The priority must remain the safe rescue of all victims through sustained security efforts,” he said.
The Assembly also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting measures aimed at improving security and preventing future attacks on schools and rural communities.
Earlier, Johnson Ogundele, who represents Oriire State Constituency, raised a motion of urgent public importance over the worsening security situation in his constituency.
He said Oriire communities had experienced a sharp increase in bandit attacks since January, including the killing of five National Park Service forest guards in Oloka Village.
Mr Ogundele praised Governor Seyi Makinde for deploying security personnel to the area and personally visiting affected communities. However, he called for additional support for security agencies and urged the government to establish a permanent military base in vulnerable areas and forest corridors.
He also recommended immediate security audits of schools located near forests and border communities across the state.
Several lawmakers used the debate to renew calls for the creation of state police, arguing that local security challenges require a more decentralised approach.
Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin said recent rescue operations highlighted the difficulties faced by conventional security agencies when operating in remote forest areas. He noted that local vigilantes and the Amotekun Corps had played a crucial role in security efforts.
Other lawmakers raised concerns about inadequate security within large forest reserves in the state, alleging that some areas had become havens for criminal groups and illegal mining activities.
Dawood Olalere, representing Ibadan North-West, warned that kidnapping was no longer confined to remote forests and was increasingly spreading to urban and semi-urban areas. He cited the reported abduction of the sister of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and her two sons in Ibadan as evidence of the growing threat.
The debate comes amid increasing concern over insecurity in parts of Oyo State, where communities have faced a series of kidnappings and attacks in recent months.
Lawmakers called on both state and federal authorities to strengthen security operations and accelerate reforms aimed at improving public safety across the region.
