The Oyo State Government has dismissed claims by social media personality Martins Vincent Otse that ransom was paid to secure the release of teachers and pupils abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.
VeryDarkMan had alleged in a post shared on his official Facebook page on Friday that the government paid the kidnappers but that the victims were not released despite the payment.
Reacting to the claim, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, described the allegation as false, insisting that no ransom had been paid.
In a statement issued on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde, the commissioner dismissed the report as the handiwork of “irresponsible bloggers” and urged members of the public to disregard the claim.
Oyelade stated that both the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government were continuing efforts to secure the safe release of the teachers and pupils abducted in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
He maintained that the rescue efforts were ongoing and reiterated that no ransom had been paid to the abductors, contrary to the claims circulating on social media.
The commissioner also urged residents to rely on verified information released through official government channels rather than unconfirmed reports online.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of the victims and expressed optimism that efforts being made by security agencies would bring the incident to a successful conclusion.
The abduction occurred on May 15 in Oriire Local Government Area, with security agencies continuing operations aimed at rescuing the victims.
