Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has urged victims’ families and Nigerians to forgo protest against the abduction of pupils and teachers in Esiele and Yawota communities in the Orire Local Government area of the state.

Mr Makinde spoke on Sunday during a church service at a Christ Apostolic Church in Ibadan. 

Recall that on May 15 bandits stormed the communities, abducted teachers and pupils in three schools, killed two and later beheaded one of the kidnapped teachers in their hideout as documented in a viral video.

Mr Makinde said, “Terrorists are within our doorstep. I encourage the family members of the children they abducted. This is not the time for protest. Terrorists and bandits are not normal people. So if we are protesting, we are fuelling their ego.”

Citing Proverbs 21v1, the governor said, “The heart of a king is in the hands of God. The hearts of bandits are in the hands of God. So, let us pray that God will touch their hearts. We are doing everything possible to (secure the) release the children.”

One of the victims and principal of Community High School, Esinele, Rachael Alamu, in a viral video released by the bandits begged the government to secure their safe return. 

In a recent follow-up video shared by the bandits, she called on both the state and federal governments to meet the demands of their abductors to secure their release.

She urged the government not to use force, noting that attempts to secure their freedom made the bandits to identify another victim for beheading.

Her plight sparked reactions from Nigerians with some threatening to protest against their continued stay in captivity.

One of them is human rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, who in a post on X on Saturday, said, “If Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT and his service chiefs fail to track down and secure the release of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and other kidnapped people, we will have no choice but to occupy Aso Rock Villa this week!.”