It is with profound sorrow and deep moral indignation that I received the heartbreaking news of the coordinated attacks on a secondary school and two primary schools in the Ahoro Esiele community of Oriire Local Government Area, where armed men abducted 39 students and seven teachers, including children as young as two years old. The reported killing of one of the abducted teachers has further compounded this tragic incident.
As Mogaji Ile Nla, an Ibadan Traditional Chief, and a concerned stakeholder in Oyo State, I condemn this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms.
An attack on our children and on those entrusted with their education is an attack on the very soul of our society and on the cherished values handed down to us by our forebears. It is a violation of the sacred trust between a community and its young, and it must not be tolerated.
My heart goes out to the families whose children and loved ones have been taken from them. To the parents enduring sleepless nights, to the siblings living in fear, and to the bereaved family of the slain teacher, I extend my deepest condolences and the assurance that you do not grieve alone.
Ibadan grieves with you. Oyo State grieves with you. Nigeria grieves with you.
I commend the swift response of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, and the support of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I also acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers, police officers, and local vigilantes who have sustained injuries during the rescue operations.
However, this moment demands more than sympathy. It calls for a renewed and uncompromising commitment from every level of government, security agency, traditional institution, religious body, and community leader to ensure the safe return of every abducted child and teacher.
The South-West has long been regarded as a sanctuary from this kind of violence. We must not allow that legacy to be eroded.
I call on my fellow traditional rulers across Oyo State and the South-West to unite in one voice, lend our moral authority to this cause, and work closely with government and security agencies until every victim is safely returned and the perpetrators are brought to justice.
To the abductors, I say unequivocally: release these children and teachers immediately and without harm. No grievance or motive can justify this heinous act.
May Almighty God comfort the grieving, heal the wounded, and grant a swift and safe return to all those still in captivity.
