Why Oyo Lawmakers Are Rejecting Negotiation With Student Kidnappers

By Mary Jane 

Growing tension over the abduction of dozens of students and teachers in Oyo State has exposed a difficult question confronting authorities and affected families alike: should the government negotiate with kidnappers to save lives, or refuse dialogue in order to avoid encouraging more attacks?

While desperate relatives continue pleading for the safe return of their loved ones, members of the Oyo State House of Assembly have now publicly rejected calls for negotiation with the abductors, insisting that security operations and sustained pressure on the armed group remain the best path forward.

The debate intensified after a video surfaced online showing one of the abducted school officials, Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, appealing for urgent intervention while in captivity.

In the video shared on Instagram, the visibly distressed principal claimed the kidnappers had threatened to kill another victim if efforts were not made to secure their demands.

The emotional appeal triggered fresh outrage across the state and reignited public concern over the worsening security situation in parts of Oyo, particularly within vulnerable communities located near forest corridors and border areas.

The abduction itself began on May 15 when suspected bandits attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, reportedly kidnapping about 39 students alongside seven teachers.

What initially appeared to residents as another disturbing security incident soon escalated into a broader crisis after reports emerged that one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, had been killed by the kidnappers.

Since then, fear has continued to spread among affected communities, with parents, teachers, and local residents increasingly demanding stronger security intervention from both state and federal authorities.

Members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers and other groups staged protests in recent days, accusing authorities of moving too slowly while families remain trapped in uncertainty.

Inside the Oyo State House of Assembly on Wednesday, however, lawmakers warned that entering negotiations with armed groups could create dangerous long-term consequences beyond the current crisis.

Speaker of the Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, argued that negotiating with kidnappers risked normalising abduction as a profitable criminal enterprise and could encourage future attacks on schools and rural communities.

The position reflects a growing concern among public officials that ransom-based negotiations may strengthen armed networks already exploiting weak security coverage across remote areas.

Lawmakers instead called for intensified rescue operations, intelligence-driven security strategies, and coordinated pressure on those responsible for the abduction.

Beyond the immediate crisis, discussions during the plenary also shifted toward the broader vulnerability of schools located near forests and isolated communities.

The Assembly urged education authorities to reassess security conditions in high-risk schools and consider measures such as surveillance systems, perimeter fencing, improved lighting, and emergency response structures.

The lawmakers also directed the Assembly’s committee on security and strategy to carry out an on-the-spot assessment in Oriire Local Government Area as concerns continue to mount over repeated attacks in the region.

According to lawmakers, the latest kidnapping is part of a wider pattern of violence affecting communities within the area since the beginning of the year.

Johnson Ogundele, the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, recalled an earlier attack on a National Park Service facility in Oloka village where several forest guards were reportedly killed.

Residents say repeated attacks have deepened fears among farmers, traders, teachers, and parents who now worry that insecurity is gradually spreading into everyday community life.

The situation has become even more alarming following fresh reports of another abduction incident in Ibadan involving relatives of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.

For many families in Oyo State, however, the political debates and security discussions offer little comfort while dozens of victims remain in captivity and uncertainty continues hanging over affected communities.