The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Wednesday, called for a ‘careful, clinical, and timely’ operation to rescue the students and teachers abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The development comes as military jets were seen hovering around some towns in Oyo State.
A video went viral showing Tucano jets at the tarmac of Ibadan airport on Wednesday.
In a statement on Tuesday, The Defence Headquarters, had stated that the troops had made contact with the abductors and were working to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students and teachers.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, also said efforts were being made to secure the release of those abducted.
Gunmen had invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and LEA Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area, where they abducted scores of pupils, students, and teachers.
Makinde said seven students were kidnapped from Community Grammar School, while 18 children and seven teachers were abducted from First Baptist Primary and Nursery School. He also disclosed that one person was killed during the attack.
Reacting to the abduction, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, the Speaker said security agencies must ensure that the victims were rescued safely while the perpetrators were brought to justice.
While acknowledging the immediate intervention by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, including an on-the-spot assessment and deployment of security personnel for rescue operations, Abbas stressed the need for ‘speed and precision’ in handling the mission.
The Speaker strongly condemned the attack, saying it was particularly tragic that educational institutions were now targets at a time Nigeria was battling a growing out-of-school children crisis.
He said it was ‘more unfortunate that schools are being attacked at a time when the country is struggling to enrol its massive out-of-school children population’.
Abbas noted that schools should ordinarily be among the safest places in any society and called for stronger measures to protect educational institutions and other vulnerable public facilities across the country.
