Oyo school abduction: Tinubu approves 1,000 forest guards, deploys special tactical unit

SUMMARY

• President Tinubu approved the immediate recruitment of 1,000 local forest guards to secure Oyo State’s vulnerable forest corridors.

• A high-powered federal delegation announced the deployment of a specialised tactical security unit to track and safely free the hostages.

• Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila led top security chiefs, including Nuhu Ribadu and Christopher Musa, to meet affected Oyo communities.

• The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commenced an indefinite strike across Oyo State to protest the security breach and demand urgent action.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State to strengthen local security following the abduction of school pupils and teachers. 

The President also ordered a specialised tactical security unit to launch a fresh rescue operation to secure the safe release of the captives.

The directives were announced during a high-level Federal Government delegation visit to the affected Esiele and Yawota communities in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. 

The presidential team, led by the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, visited the area to assess the situation and comfort the families of the victims.

Gunmen had invaded the communities, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers from three separate schools: Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.

Speaking to anxious residents and community leaders in both English and Yoruba, Gbajabiamila stated that the President is deeply troubled by the incident.

He assured them that the federal government is deploying all necessary resources to bring the children and teachers back home safely.

The recruitment of the 1,000 forest guards will be executed in close collaboration with the Oyo State Government.

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These guards will be sourced locally from the communities to improve surveillance and intelligence gathering within the vast forest corridors often exploited by criminal elements.

Additionally, the presidential delegation informed local lawmakers and community leaders that their request for a permanent military base in the area has been transmitted to President Tinubu for consideration.

The high-powered delegation sent to the state included top security chiefs: National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare.

The presidency emphasised that the ongoing rescue operations will remain intelligence-led and carefully coordinated to ensure the safety of the hostages. 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has declared an indefinite strike in Oyo State to protest the security breach and demand faster action from authorities.