The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, has revealed that terrorists holding abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area are demanding weapons, money and concessions on future Nigerian laws as conditions for their release.
Ogundoyin made the disclosure while contributing to discussions surrounding the growing debate over whether governments should negotiate with kidnappers and armed groups to secure the freedom of victims.
According to the Speaker, the demands made by the abductors go beyond the payment of ransom and include requests that could further strengthen their operations and influence governance.
“To bring these children and teachers back, if it is up to you, will you negotiate with terrorists if terrorists ask for weapons, they ask for money, they ask for concessions on future laws of this land as part of their ransom?” Ogundoyin queried.
He further challenged advocates of negotiation with armed groups, asking: “If you were the governor, will you accept those ransoms? Will you accept that those people should be accepted into that community?”
Ogundoyin warned that yielding to such demands could worsen the security situation in the country, insisting that negotiations with terrorist groups often encourage further criminal activities.
“The more you negotiate with these people, the more you embolden them,” he said.
His comments come amid heightened concerns over the abduction of pupils and teachers during attacks on Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
The incident sparked widespread outrage across Oyo State, with residents and stakeholders calling on security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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