By Adeola Badru
Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that Oyo State “is not Chibok and will never be Chibok”, vowing that the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area will be rescued safely, as social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest over rising insecurity and kidnappings in the state.
The protest, which followed a series of kidnapping incidents across Oyo State, saw demonstrators demand urgent action from the government to secure the release of the victims and improve security across the state.
Addressing the protesters at his Ikolaba private residence, Ibadan, on Tuesday, Makinde struck an emotional tone, insisting that his administration would do everything possible to ensure that the abducted children did not suffer the fate of the Chibok schoolgirls.
“Let me make it very, very clear: Oyo State is not Chibok and we will not be Chibok. We have lost men, even soldiers and officers, and I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed a few days ago.
“If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out? I will do it. I have lived a good life, I’m almost 60 and it doesn’t matter. Our children will never be in the same situation as Chibok children,“ the governor said.
Makinde acknowledged the dangers surrounding the rescue operation and the loss already recorded, stressing that every effort was being made to avoid further casualties.
“We’ve lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more, but if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it,” he said.
The governor also expressed understanding for the protest, stating that he would likely have joined such a demonstration if he were not in government.
“I will tell the truth and nothing but the truth. If I am not in government, I will be you; I’ll be protesting with you.“
“I do not have anything against what you are doing. To have a society where leaders are accountable and inclusive sometimes requires agitation, sometimes it requires protest, and sometimes it requires people getting up from their comfort zones to do something like this,“ he said.
While accepting responsibility as governor, Makinde explained the constitutional limitations facing state governments in security matters, adding that: “I will not shift blame. Our reality is that the state government is not in charge of all the security agencies.“
“As governor, I can call the Commissioner of Police and we can meet, but I cannot deploy him. If I say go to a particular place, he will need approval from the Inspector-General of Police. The same thing applies to the military,“ Makinde said.
He noted that security had remained a priority of his administration since assuming office, pointing to the establishment of the Amotekun Corps.
“When I came in, security was one of the cardinal principles of this administration. That is why we set up Amotekun. Amotekun has not been armed adequately, but that is our reality,” he said.
Makinde further revealed his personal distress over the prolonged captivity of the pupils and teachers, noting that more than a month had passed since the abduction.
“I am also distressed because I have children of my own. I am distressed about what has happened to our children. It has been one month and one day already.“
“Because of the nature of the security operation involved, I cannot divulge a lot of information, but I can tell you that there is no information that any of those children or their teachers have died,“ he said.
Describing the operation as unprecedented, the governor said the rescue mission required extraordinary caution because of the age of the victims.
“This is the first time anywhere in Nigeria that people have kidnapped nursery and primary school children. These are children that cannot even run or do anything for themselves. So the operation to rescue them is a special type of operation if we do not want to lose any of those children,” Makinde said.
He reassured residents that the government remained actively engaged in efforts to secure the release of the victims.
“I give you the assurance that I, as the Governor of Oyo State, will bring out those our children. They are talking to us. It is not something that we normally do. If government starts negotiating with bandits, it means we are surrendering sovereignty to the bandits, but in this special situation, if we want those children alive, we have to bend backwards,“ he stated.
Makinde also pledged that lessons would be learnt from the incident to prevent a recurrence, noting, “Once the children are out, I give you the assurance that it will not occur again in Oyo State.“
“Nigeria does not deserve this. In an atmosphere of insecurity, hardly can you do anything. Schools have been shut, farmers have left their farms, and we are talking about food security,“ he said.
The governor commended the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully throughout the demonstration.
“We have been monitoring you since you started this morning. You have not destroyed anything. You have gone about the protest in a civilised manner. Please let us maintain it that way,“ the governor said.
Earlier, VeryDarkMan said the protest was aimed at demanding answers and accelerating efforts to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers.
He expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding their condition and criticised the prolonged delay in securing their freedom.
“We are here to also commit ourselves. If the governor does not amend, we are ready to volunteer ourselves. Yes, to go into the bushes with the police, army, air force and any security operatives that are ready to go into the bush,“ he said.
The activist said many residents remained worried because there had been little public information about the condition of the victims.
“As of now, we do not even know the condition of the children. We do not know if the children are still alive. Over 45 of them were taken into the bush with their teachers, and one of the teachers has been beheaded. It is quite unfortunate,“ he said.
VeryDarkMan said the protesters were seeking clarity from the government on the rescue efforts, querying that: “We want to tell the governor, what is the plan and when are we going to see the children?”
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