The Oyo State Government has dismissed reports alleging that it paid ransom to bandits for the release of pupils and teachers kidnapped in Oriire Local Government Area, insisting that the claim is false.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, described the report as baseless and accused what he called irresponsible bloggers of spreading misinformation to mislead the public and create unnecessary confusion.
“Although both the Oyo State and Federal Governments have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the bandits, either directly or indirectly,” Oyelade said.
The commissioner urged residents to ignore the reports and rely solely on information released through official government channels.
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He added that the state government remains in close collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and bring the unfortunate incident to an end.
The abduction occurred on May 15 when armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro-Esienle communities of Oriire Local Government Area. During the attack, a teacher was killed while several pupils and teachers were taken away.
The victims have remained in captivity since the incident, as the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government, and security agencies continue efforts to secure their safe release.