Viral social media claims stating that victims kidnapped during last Friday’s attack on three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State had been freed have been condemned as false by Abayomi Fagbenro, the senior security adviser to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
At least two people were killed and roughly thirty teachers and pupils were kidnapped as a result of the attack on three schools in the Ahoro-Esinle/Yawota axis of Ogbomoso in Oriire Local Government Area.
Since Wednesday night, reports stating that the kidnapped instructors and pupils have been freed have gone viral.
Some posts confirmed the victims’ release, while others called the reports fraudulent.
Some questioned the assertions as well, pointing out that the development had not been covered by any major media outlet.
In response to a question asked on Thursday regarding the actual circumstances after the posts went viral, Governor Seyi Makinde’s security adviser stated that as of Thursday morning, the kidnapped teachers and students had not been freed.
“It’s not true as of 10:35 am,” Fagbenro stated.
In a similar vein, Olayinka Ayanlade, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, said that he was unaware of the victims’ release who had been kidnapped during Friday’s attack.
But according to Ayanlade, more is being done to obtain the release of individuals who are being kept captive.
Following the attack, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu declared that more detectives from Force Headquarters in Abuja would be deployed to work with the combined security team to obtain the release of the kidnapped teachers and pupils.
On Wednesday, Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, demanded a “careful, clinical, and timely” operation to free the teachers and pupils kidnapped from the three schools in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area.
Additionally, the Defence Headquarters said in a statement on Tuesday that forces had communicated with the kidnappers and were attempting to secure the release of the instructors and kids who had been abducted.
Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, added that attempts were being made to secure the release of individuals who had been kidnapped.
In the Oriire Local Government Area, gunmen stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and LEA Primary School in Esiele, kidnapping numerous kids and teachers.
According to Makinde, 18 children and seven teachers were taken from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School, while seven pupils were stolen from Community Grammar School.
He also revealed that one individual died in the assault.
