Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has appealed to families and residents to refrain from staging protests over the recent abduction of schoolchildren in the state, cautioning that demonstrations could worsen the situation and embolden the kidnappers.
Speaking on the incident, Makinde acknowledged the severity of the security threat, warning that armed bandits and terrorists had moved dangerously close to communities across the state.
“I told the people our reality. Our reality is that the bandits, the terrorists, are here within our doorstep,” the governor said.
Makinde urged relatives of the abducted children to remain calm and prayerful, arguing that public protests would only serve to inflate the kidnappers’ sense of power.
“This is not the time for protest. The terrorists and the bandits are not normal people. If they had a reasonable head, they wouldn’t be in the bush doing what they are doing. So if we’re protesting, we’re fueling their ego,” he stated.
The governor assured residents that security operations were ongoing behind the scenes, while calling on citizens to turn to prayer in the interim.
“The heart of the bandit is also in the hands of God. Let us pray to God that He touches their hearts while we are doing our best,” Makinde added.
The abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State has heightened tensions across the region, coming amid a broader wave of insecurity affecting several states in Nigeria.
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