Video: Why we can’t negotiate with kidnappers of Oyo pupils — Speaker of OYHA Ogundoyin
Abdullateef Fowewe
Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin, has told colleagues in plenary that the government must not negotiate with kidnappers or make concessions that would empower criminals.
“If you were the Governor, would you negotiate with terrorists? Would you give them guns and change the laws because of them?” Ogundoyin asked rhetorically during a session addressing the Oriire abduction.
“If it was you, will you negotiate with terrorists if they ask for money, weapons, and concession of future laws of this land as part of their ransom?”
The speaker rejected calls for concessions to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers, saying such actions would create dangerous precedents and incentivise further attacks.
“We cannot afford to negotiate with terrorists,” Ogundoyin said, stressing that yielding to kidnappers’ demands would only embolden criminal networks.
He acknowledged the anxiety and grief of victims’ families but urged support for security agencies and ongoing rescue efforts rather than bargaining with criminals.
Ogundoyin called for a two-pronged approach: immediate improvement in intelligence and operational responses, and sustained investment in long-term security reforms including renewed calls for the establishment of state police to address the root causes of insecurity across the state.
