IBADAN— GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday, declared that the state “is not Chibok and will never be Chibok”, vowing that the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area will be rescued safely.
This came on a day social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest over rising insecurity and kidnappings in the state.
The protest, which followed a series of kidnapping incidents across Oyo State, saw demonstrators demanding urgent action from the government to secure the release of the victims and improve security across the state.
Addressing the protesters at his Ikolaba private residence, Ibadan, Governor Makinde struck an emotional tone, insisting that his administration would do everything possible to ensure that the abducted children did not suffer the fate of the Chibok school girls.
He also acknowledged the dangers surrounding the rescue operation and the loss already recorded, stressing that every effort was being made to avoid further casualties.
While accepting responsibility as governor, he explained the constitutional limitations facing state governments in security matters.
His words: “Let me make it very, very clear, Oyo State is not Chibok, and we will not be Chibok. We have lost men, even soldiers and officers, and I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed a few days ago.
“If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out? I will do it. I have lived a good life, I’m almost 60 and it doesn’t matter. Our children will never be in the same situation as the Chibok children.
“We’ve lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more, but if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it.
“I will tell the truth and nothing but the truth. If I am not in government, I will be you; I’ll be protesting with you.
“I do not have anything against what you are doing. To have a society where leaders are accountable and inclusive sometimes requires agitation, sometimes it requires protest, and sometimes it requires people getting up from their comfort zones to do something like this.
“I will not shift blame. Our reality is that the state government is not in charge of all the security agencies.
“As governor, I can call the Commissioner of Police and we can meet, but I cannot deploy him. If I say go to a particular place, he will need approval from the Inspector-General of Police. The same thing applies to the military.”
Makinde further revealed his personal distress over the prolonged captivity of the pupils and teachers, noting that more than a month had passed since the abduction.
VANGUARD
