The Oyo State House of Assembly has firmly rejected calls for negotiation with kidnappers and terrorists following the recent abduction in Oriire Local Government Area, urging instead for intensified rescue operations and urgent establishment of state police.
The lawmakers also called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the creation of state police and approve the establishment of a permanent military base in Oriire to curb recurring bandit attacks.
The resolutions were reached on Wednesday after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Johnson Ogundele, representing Oriire State Constituency, shortly after plenary resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir recess.
Presenting the motion, Ogundele decried the worsening insecurity in the area, recalling the May 15 attack on Esinele, Oyo and Yawota communities, where armed bandits stormed schools, killing a teacher, a student and a commercial motorcyclist, and abducting several pupils, students and teachers.
He warned that Oriire communities had come under sustained attacks since the beginning of 2026, including an earlier assault on the National Park Service office in Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed.
The Assembly commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his swift response, including deployment of security operatives, rescue efforts and visits to affected communities, but urged further support for security agencies.
Lawmakers stressed the need for a permanent military presence in vulnerable areas and forest corridors, particularly around the Kainji Lake axis and adjoining reserves often used as hideouts by criminal elements.
Seconding the motion, Majority Leader Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin renewed calls for state police, noting that conventional security agencies face operational challenges in dense forest terrains and often rely on local vigilantes and the Amotekun Corps for effective response.
He urged the Federal Government to remove all obstacles delaying the establishment of state policing, describing it as critical to addressing Nigeria’s evolving security threats.
The House also directed the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to conduct immediate security audits of schools located near forests and border communities.
It further recommended the installation of solar-powered security lights, perimeter fencing and CCTV surveillance systems in vulnerable schools, alongside the development of a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol across the state.
Contributing to the debate, lawmakers raised concerns over poor security presence in forest reserves and alleged illegal activities, including unregulated mining operations, within the expansive forest belts spanning Oyo and neighbouring states.
They also called for increased recruitment and better equipping of Amotekun operatives, warning that locally fabricated weapons were inadequate against heavily armed criminal groups.
The Assembly directed the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYSEMA) to provide relief materials, trauma counselling and psychosocial support to affected families.
In his remarks, Speaker Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin reiterated the Assembly’s opposition to negotiating with kidnappers.
“Negotiating with terrorists would send the wrong signal and embolden criminal elements,” he said, urging sustained security operations and intelligence-driven rescue missions to secure the safe release of victims.
The House also mandated its Committee on Security and Strategy to conduct an oversight visit to Oriire to assess the situation and recommend further legislative interventions.
