Tinubu Explains Why FG Rejected Oyo Kidnappers' Demands
- President Bola Tinubu has explained why his administration rejected kidnappers’ ransom and prisoner release demands during the Oyo abduction
- Tinubu has defended the rescue operation while making a controversial remark about pursuing the kidnappers’ families and communities
- The president has linked the Oriire abduction to wider security reforms, including new Army divisions and planned state police
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President Bola Tinubu has explained why the federal government rejected the demands of kidnappers who abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo state, saying his administration would not bargain with criminals.
Speaking on Thursday, July 31, while receiving the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and other Oyo traditional rulers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu said the abductors wanted ransom money and the release of members of their gang already in custody.
Source: Twitter
"We refuse to negotiate for ransom... We are not going to negotiate with criminals," the president said.
Tinubu, as stated by The Punch, also made a controversial remark about the government's response to the kidnappers, saying,
"They committed murder, and we were ready to finish with their families, members of their own communities. They grew up somewhere."
The president said the operation that rescued the victims after 56 days relied on intelligence and security agencies' knowledge of the forest.
According to the Presidency, eight suspects were arrested while other members of the gang were neutralised, with no ransom paid.
Rescue changed security strategy - Tinubu
Tinubu said the Oriire attack prompted the federal government to strengthen Nigeria's security structure. He explained that his directive to increase the Nigerian Army from 8 to 12 divisions was intended to improve response times and boost the fight against terrorism and banditry.
"We refused to pay ransom because we have the geography of the forest; we know what it is and in answer to it, from 8 divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions to shorten the response time to defeat terrorism and banditry; it is very necessary, and we are doing so."
Source: Twitter
He also said the government would establish state police with safeguards against abuse and retrain forest guards to pursue criminals operating in forests.
The president blamed part of Nigeria's security challenges on instability in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, saying some of those behind attacks are foreigners.
The Oriire abduction happened on May 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked three schools in Oyo State, abducting about 39 pupils and seven teachers.
Mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was killed during the attack before the victims were rescued on July 10.
Fact-check debunks Oyo ransom payment claim
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a claim alleging President Bola Tinubu's administration paid terrorists $7 million to secure the release of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State was found to be misleading.
The fact-check showed the Agence France-Presse (AFP) report cited by an opposition politician referred to a separate 2025 school abduction in Niger State, not the Oyo school kidnapping.
AFP's investigation centred on allegations involving the Niger abduction, which the federal government denied. There is no evidence that the report claimed Tinubu's administration paid terrorists to free the Oyo school victims.
Source: Legit.ng
