By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
The Presidency said on Saturday that the children and teachers rescued from Oriire community in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, are currently undergoing medical examinations.
Responding to inquiries on whether and when the rescued pupils would be presented to President Bola Tinubu, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said information from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) indicated the rescued victims would be handed over to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
“The children are still undergoing medical examination. They will thereafter be handed over to Oyo Governor Makinde,” he said.
President Tinubu had earlier expressed profound joy at the successful rescue by security forces. He praised the heroic efforts of the military, the DSS and the police, saying they worked round the clock over the last 56 days to secure the release of the abducted children and their teachers “without any collateral damage” and for arresting eight of the abductors and neutralising others.
He regretted the anguish endured by the children, their teachers, families and the nation since the incident.
For cooperating with the Federal Government in all rescue efforts, President Tinubu commended the Oyo State Government and urged it “to ensure adequate security around schools across the state.”
“I am profoundly happy that our security forces successfully rescued the abducted pupils and teachers from Orire, Ogbomoso in Oyo State today after a military, police and intelligence-driven operation that neutralised some of the terrorists that perpetrated the evil act and the arrest of eight of them.
“This successful military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular. On behalf of the country, I express my gratitude to the officers and men of our armed forces, the intelligence agencies and the police for the safe rescue of the children and their teachers.
“My government will get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered.
“I must commend the government of Oyo State for working cooperatively with us in bringing this unfortunate incident to a successful end,” Tinubu said.
