KEY POINTS
- Tinubu says every measure, including international collaboration, is in place to rescue the Oriire victims unhurt.
- Oyo extended its curfew by 24 hours across 10 council areas bordering Old Oyo National Park.
- Officials warned residents against harbouring or aiding criminals in the affected zone.
President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is seriously addressing the rise in banditry, kidnapping and related crimes across the country, vowing to rescue the abducted victims in Oriire Local Government unhurt. He gave the assurance while inaugurating the remodelled Premier Hotel in Ibadan, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
A pledge of safe Oriire abduction rescue
According to Tinubu, the government is taking every realistic measure, including international collaboration, to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped victims without harm or avoidable loss of life. Moreover, he urged Nigerians to stay vigilant and cooperate with security agencies, while he called on traditional and faith-based institutions to take the lead through government channels.
Furthermore, the President tied the security push to a broader economic recovery. “Our nation is becoming increasingly secure, increasingly connected, and increasingly open for business,” he said. He added that reforms were laying the foundation for a stronger economy, citing improving investor confidence and foreign reserves at their highest level in two decades.
Oyo tightens its curfew
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government extended its curfew by 24 hours across 10 council areas bordering the Old Oyo National Park. The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, announced the extension in a memo. After the government imposed a 4 p.m.-to-8 a.m. curfew on the areas for 48 hours on Tuesday, the restriction will now run until Saturday, June 27.
The affected councils include Oriire, Orelope, Irepo, Saki West, Saki East, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Olorunsogo and Atiba. Consequently, the government framed the move as part of a tighter security response across the Oke-Ogun zone.
In addition, Governor Seyi Makinde’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Abayomi Fagbenro Bibire, warned residents against harbouring or aiding criminals. According to him, anyone who shelters suspects, supplies information to criminals or frustrates security operations would face the full weight of the law. “Oyo State will not provide safe haven for lawbreakers,” he said. Ultimately, Bibire visited Fulani markets in Ado-Awaye and Kara in Iseyin, where he urged community leaders to back security efforts and comply with the state’s executive orders on public safety.