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…Olubadan Urges Tinubu To Secure Forests To Prevent Bandits Regrouping
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, gave account of the intrigues and hard line stance that culminated in the rescue of pupils and teachers from Oriire community in Oyo State, after over 50 days in captivity.
The president, while playing host to traditional rulers from Oyo State led by the Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, said he insisted that no ransom be paid to the terrorists who orchestrated the mass kidnap of the pupils and teachers.
According to Tinubu, beside the harrowing experience faced by the pupils and the government, the abduction exposed new tactics to dealing with insecurity, which accounts for recent creation of 12 military divisions around the country.
He congratulated the traditional leaders, saying the recent security breach reinforces the need for state policing structure.
The president said, “Congratulations on the Oriire Oyo State’s rescue that succeeded. I think we succeeded with your support, prayers, and I agree with you that we should commend the men and women of the armed forces for their excellent performance.
“On behalf of them, I accept your message, and I will forward the same thing and the same message on. “As we emphasise the question of security, that each event teaches us new methods, opens our eyes, challenge us to examine and re-examine our architecture, our strategy, our map and operations.
“And you would have seen we’ve given a geographical and numerical answer to the challenges. We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest. We know what it is, and in answer to it, you’ve seen that from eight divisions.
Now we are now moving to 12 divisions to shorten the response time to give that response time the teeth that is needed for us to defeat terrorism and banditry”.
Addressing the traditional leaders further, he said his administration will take necessary steps to tackle insecurity at the grassroots level, adding that the last experience has enabled government undertake a geo-physical survey of the forest areas in the South-West.
He also highlighted the incursion of aliens from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, saying more forest guards will be engaged to deal with the situation.
According to him, “It is very necessary, and we are doing so. We have equally embarked upon what was missing, several decades of fears and uncertainty about what to do about security at the local level will be corrected.
“There will be state police, and that state police will have guardrail from abuses. We will protect it from abuses, and you traditional rulers too will have role to play more.
“Well, thank you for mentioning the question of the forest. We are equally enhancing the capacity and capability of the forest guards. They are not just to chase antelopes and animals.
We are going to have them chase the criminals and deal with them in various forests. It is very important to let you know that the mention of intelligence is very important, and I want you to take it to our people to be extra vigilant to look at things critically, know their neighbourhoods, know their areas, report strange people.
“We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested. That was one of their conditions, outside of the money they’re looking for, and we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals. They committed murder, and we were ready to finish with their families, members of their own communities. They grew up somewhere.
“Some of them that are non-Nigerians, you know, you see the problem of insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, is adding more fuel to our challenges. In fact, that is why we must enhance the capacity of the forest guards as well as create the state police. And you have governed before as the governor.
“You need to help us communicate to these governors. Today, the economy of operation is high. But the money that I’m pushing to the states, if you had it during your own time or during my time, it would have been different.
“They are taking four to five times their money. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now. Pensioners are receiving their pay, and they should do more instead of fly over where there is no numeric traffic, build roads and arteries network to really enhance the quality of life and the accessibility of the security agencies to penetrate those areas.
“I will be calling meetings of so many of you traditional leaders to listen to you, and offer some suggestions, and throughout the country, I’ll do that. To find time to listen to them.
“The immediate challenge is monumental. It’s not an easy job, but to me, I asked for the job and I got it. You gave me the support, and I got to do it. I accept the asset and liability of my predecessor, so that’s the challenge of today.
“I’m glad you are here. I congratulate you on the peace and stability of the region, the state, and I can tell you the security challenge is getting better. We are getting a hang of it much better. Any time you come across some of our soldiers and police officers, please pat them on the back and say thank you.
They are doing a good job. It’s a big challenge”. Recall that on May, 15, 2026, about 44 pupils and teachers were abducted from the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. They were successfully rescued alive and unharmed on July 10, 2026, through a coordinated arrangement by the Nigerian armed forces after spending 56 days in captivity.
Trouble started when Ansaru- linked terrorists simultaneously raided three schools: Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), Community High School (Ahoro-Esinele), and L.A. Primary School (Ahoro-Esinele). While the captives were held hostage, one teacher was killed during the initial attack and another tragically lost his life while in captivity.
In his response at the thank you visit to the presidency, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, said the news of the abduction of pupils from schools in Oriire first brought apprehension to the citizens.
He said having seen how a coordinated approach led to the rescue of the students and their teachers, it was clear the government knew its onions in terms of securing the country.
“We’re here today to bring to the president our good tidings. We wish you well. We are very happy with what is happening in Nigeria today. We just feel that it is important for us to come and say thank you to you.
“When we had the problem of the kidnapping, which was about the first major one in Oyo State. We were apprehensive, saying what is the government doing? What is the Federal Government doing? What is Oyo State government doing? But we now found that between you and your security people, to which I’m going to thank them through you. You have made a turning point in the issue of kidnapping in Nigeria.
“The fact that you did not pay ransom, the fact that that you stood your ground shows that we now have a government that knows what it’s doing. So Mr. President, we cannot thank you enough for that feat. It was a big feat because the people of Oyo State said, “Are we going to become another Chibok? Is it going to be a perennial issue?
“But as I said, it has now brought a turning point in the issue of kidnapping in Nigeria, not only in Oyo State, because people now know that we now have a president who will not negotiate from the position of weakness with any kidnapper. We thank you very much Mr. President, we’re very grateful”.
Ladoja, however, urged the Federal Government not to jettison the forest now that the students have been successfully rescued, noting that such would give the bandits opportunity to regroup.
The Olubadan, who once governed Oyo State, also appreciated the president for federal projects in the state, especially road networks, saying prior to the projects, the state was in a deplorable condition.
According to him, “But let me also advise, on behalf of my colleagues, that you should not please abandon that forest. You have been able to send away all the kidnappers, all the people that were there, that were threats to lives and property of people of Oyo State, you have succeeded in getting them out of the place, but please let us have the presence of the security agencies there, so that they do not re-gather.
“This is a forest that extends from Oyo State to Niger State. It is supposed to be a reserve, it starts from Iseyin, the Aseyin is here. Igboho, Kishi all along to Kwara State; Baruten, then to Niger State. So if you are able to secure the place, it means that our state is secured. So thank you very much, Mr. President, for that feat, and we hope that our wish of not abandoning the place, so that they do not re-gather again, will be acceptable to you.”
