Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has welcomed the release of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from the state who were abducted while travelling to their orientation camps in Imo State, urging the Federal Government to intensify efforts to tackle kidnapping and banditry.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, the state government congratulated the governments of Oyo and Imo states, alongside the Federal Government, on securing the victims’ release.
Oyelade described the development as a relief for the state and the affected families, saying the abducted youths, regarded as “our children”, had regained their freedom after days of uncertainty.
However, he called on the Federal Government to take more proactive steps to address insecurity, noting that it had the resources and capacity to tackle kidnapping and banditry nationwide.
The commissioner expressed concern that abductions and banditry continued in several parts of the country despite repeated assurances from the Presidency on efforts to improve security. He also claimed that at least 200 Nigerians remained in captivity in forests across the country.
The prospective corps members were abducted last week while travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps in the South-East. Reports indicated that 20 Oyo indigenes were travelling in two buses when gunmen attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The Oyo State Government had earlier said it was working with the Imo State Government and security agencies to secure their release. It also offered experience and strategies from the Oriire kidnapping incident to support the rescue operation.
Following the release, the state government renewed its call for stronger security measures to prevent further abductions and protect Nigerians travelling across the country.
