President Bola Tinubu has clarified the federal administration’s decision against paying ransoms for victims abducted in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. During a discussion with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President explained that the government’s familiarity with the forest’s terrain influenced this strategy.
The incident involved a group of students and teachers who were seized by armed bandits during an attack in May. After remaining in captivity for 56 days, the captives were eventually liberated by security forces, as confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Addressing the monarch, Tinubu stated that the choice to withhold ransom payments was rooted in an understanding of the region’s geography. He further announced that the government is expanding military capabilities by increasing the number of divisions from eight to 12. This shift is intended to improve operational response times in the ongoing effort to combat terrorism and banditry across the nation.
