Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he would have personally gone into the forest where abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire, Oyo State, were held if he were Nigeria’s President.
Obi said everyone in the camp would have been brought out, even if the operation resulted in casualties, stressing that decisive leadership was needed to tackle insecurity.
He also criticised President Bola Tinubu over the handling of the abduction, alleging that the President did not personally contact Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde during the more than 50 days the victims spent in captivity.
The former governor made the remarks during an interview on State of the Nation with Peter Obi on Afia TV’s Eastern Eye, hosted by Alex Ogbodo and aired live on Thursday.
The Oriire abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when dozens of pupils and teachers were kidnapped in Oyo State. The victims remained in captivity for about 56 days before security forces rescued them in July.
Speaking on the incident, Obi argued that he would have acted immediately rather than waiting weeks before intervening.
He said, “Days of kidnap of Oyo children. The President did not call the governor. What do you mean? Fifty days.
“But I’ll be there in two days. Is the bush not in Nigeria? That bush they went in. The bush is in Nigeria.
“Everybody in that bush will come out. Everybody. There might be casualties but everybody will come out.”
Obi also criticised what he described as the secrecy surrounding security operations in the country, saying security agencies should publicly present criminal suspects after their arrest.
He said, “And it is time when we say we resolve something. We arrest some people. Parade the people. Let people see them. What is happening?
“When America or other countries kill people like that, they parade them. They show it. Everybody sees it.
“In Nigeria, everything is shrouded in secrecy.”
Recalling his tenure as Anambra State governor, Obi said he confronted criminal activities in forests across the state after consulting former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to him, he informed Obasanjo that a particular forest had become a security threat and insisted that criminal elements operating there had to be flushed out.
He added that several notorious criminals were killed during security operations carried out while he served as governor.
Obi maintained that effective leadership requires clear authority and personal responsibility.
He said, “No way. It’s either I’m in charge or you people are in charge. I go home. One person must be in charge.
“And if you’re in charge, if you want to lead, you should be ready to die. If you don’t want to, you go home. One must be in charge.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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