Olubadan to Tinubu: Maintain security presence in Oyo-Kwara-Niger forest to deter kidnappers

Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the rescue of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA of Oyo state.

Speaking on Thursday when he led a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo on a courtesy visit to the president at the State House in Abuja, Ladoja said the operation that led to the rescue of the abductees marked a turning point in Nigeria’s fight against kidnapping.

The monarch said the people of Oyo state initially feared the abduction could become “another Chibok” but praised the federal government and security agencies for securing the victims’ release without paying a ransom.

“When we heard about the incident, we were apprehensive. But we have now found that between you and your security people, which I must thank them through you, you have made a turning point in the issue of kidnapping in Nigeria,” Ladoja told Tinubu.

“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?'”

Ladoja said the government’s refusal to pay ransom and its decision not to negotiate with kidnappers from a position of weakness demonstrated its resolve to tackle insecurity.

“The fact that you did not pay ransom, the fact that you stood your ground shows that we now have a government that knows what it is doing,” he said.

“People now know that they have a president who will not negotiate from a position of weakness with any kidnapper.”

He, however, urged the president to maintain a strong security presence in the forest reserve stretching across Oyo, Kwara and Niger states to prevent kidnappers from returning.

“You have been able to send away all the kidnappers but please let us have the presence of the security agencies there so that they do not regather,” he said.

Ladoja said the forest extends from Iseyin through Igboho and Kishi into Kwara and Niger states, adding that securing the area would significantly improve security in Oyo state.

The former Oyo governor also praised the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure drive in the state, noting that about 10 ongoing federal projects worth over N2 trillion had renewed hope among residents.

“I don’t think we have had it as good before. The decay in the road networks is becoming something that we’re now hopeful that by the time you complete your second term, they’ll be things of the past,” he said.