Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has urged security agencies to immediately engage Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho over claims that he knows those responsible for the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oyo State.
Ibe said the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant security bodies should invite Igboho to provide any information in his possession that could assist ongoing efforts to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The call follows comments made by Igboho during an interaction with members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), where he alleged that certain politicians were behind the kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to Igboho, he is aware of the individuals involved and would publicly reveal their identities if such acts continue.
Reacting to the statement, Ibe maintained that security agencies cannot afford to ignore such a claim, especially at a time when the country is battling rising insecurity and repeated attacks on schools.
He argued that any person who claims to possess useful information about a kidnapping operation should be encouraged to share it with authorities to accelerate rescue efforts.
“Since Sunday Igboho claims to know those behind the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, I think the DSS and other security agencies should invite him to release those names. Every option should be on the table to fast-track the safe release of the school children and teachers,” Ibe wrote.
The Atiku aide also questioned what he described as unequal attention being given to kidnapping incidents across different parts of the country.
He specifically referenced the abduction of more than 50 schoolchildren in Mussa community, Borno State, on May 15, 2026, asking why the federal government had not demonstrated the same level of urgency shown in response to the Oyo incident.
Ibe wondered why no high-level government delegation had been dispatched to Borno and why similar security measures, including the deployment of forest guards, had not been announced for the affected communities in the North-East.
According to him, the protection of Nigerian children should not be determined by geography, ethnicity or political considerations.
The Oyo school kidnapping has continued to attract reactions from political figures, community leaders and advocacy groups, with many demanding the immediate rescue of the victims and the arrest of those responsible.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not publicly responded to Igboho’s claims or Ibe’s call for an official invitation to the activist.
