• Oyo govt sets up judicial commission on abduction
• VGN seeks compensation for fallen members

Traditional rulers from Oyo State, yesterday, threw their weight behind President Bola Tinubu‘s hardline stance against kidnapping, declaring that his refusal to negotiate with abductors or pay ransom had marked a turning point in Nigeria’s fight against crime.

The endorsement came as Tinubu unveiled a new phase of his administration’s security reforms, announcing plans to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, establish state police with safeguards against abuse, strengthen the Forest Guard and deepen intelligence gathering to confront terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes.

Tinubu, while speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, maintained that his administration would never negotiate with criminals, regardless of the pressure.

Olubadan said the delegation came to appreciate the President’s courageous handling of Oyo State’s recent kidnapping incident.

He said that Tinubu’s firm refusal to pay ransom or succumb to the kidnappers’ conditions altered the trajectory of the crisis.

The monarch also lauded the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure drive in Oyo State, noting that about 10 ongoing federal projects worth over N2 trillion were transforming the state’s economy.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Government has constituted a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the abduction of the students and teachers on May 15, 2026.

However, a group, the VigilanteGroup of Nigeria (VGN), has appealed to governments and public-spirited individuals to come to their aid over its men who died gallantly in the service to the nation in a bid to combat terrorism.

He particularly praised the reconstruction of the Ibadan-Ife Highway and adjoining road corridors, describing them as projects that would permanently address decades of infrastructure challenges in the South-West.

Tinubu, however, urged state governors to match the Federal Government’s investments by deploying increased federation account allocations to projects that directly improve security, economic productivity and the welfare of citizens.

A statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, stated that the Commission would be inaugurated today at the Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office, Ibadan.

According to the commissioner, the panel is expected to unravel the circumstances surrounding the abduction and make appropriate recommendations.

Oyelade recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde, during his statewide broadcast following the release of the abducted students and teachers, had promised to establish an independent inquiry into the incident and specifically called on the United Nations (UN) to wade in and investigate the kidnapping episode that lasted 56 days.

He said that the setting up of the Commission demonstrates the government’s commitment to uncovering the facts behind the incident and strengthening measures to prevent a recurrence.

A leader of the VGN in Oriire Local Council, Saka Waheed Omowale, who made the appeal at a programme organised by a subset of the University of Ibadan in Ogbomoso during which the victims of the abduction were given financial support, said he was beckoned on by the people of the affected communities informing him that one of the hunters had suffered casualty following the attack on them with Improvised Explosive Dynamites (IEDs), which blew him up.

“In all, 10 persons lost their lives, including three teachers, one motorcyclist (passing by), three government security operatives, and three members of local security agencies, including two Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) members – Yoda Salih and Ayuba Rafiu – and one hunter (belonging to Soludero group).

“Unfortunately, no government or group has looked their way in terms of commendation or assistance for those who fell during the combat operation. While the Senate has announced a donation of N10 million each for the families of two teachers and three security operatives under the government, the others are ignored perhaps due to lack of information on them,” the group stated.