Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that the abduction of students and a school principal in Oriire Local Government Area exposed serious gaps in intelligence gathering and information-sharing among residents and security agencies.
Makinde stated this on Saturday in Ibadan during the inauguration of the Violent Crime Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force and the commissioning of its headquarters.
The governor said preliminary findings from Friday’s attack indicated that suspicious movements and activities were not promptly reported to security operatives before the incident occurred.
“From what we know so far about yesterday’s incident in Orire Local Government, there is still a big gap in giving timely information to security agencies. When you see strange movements or suspicious behaviour, please report it,” he said.
Makinde stressed that residents must work closely with security agencies, noting that government alone could not guarantee safety without public cooperation.
He described the launch of the specialised unit as a strategic response to increasing cases of kidnapping and violent crimes in the state.
According to him, the Violent Crime Response Unit is the first of its kind in the South-West and demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening Oyo State’s security architecture.
The governor said the incident had deeply affected families and communities across the state.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that have lost their loved ones. May the souls of the departed rest in peace,” he added.
Makinde warned against taking security issues lightly, linking safety directly to economic growth and social stability.
He said his administration had continued to invest in surveillance infrastructure, logistics, mobility, intelligence-sharing and inter-agency collaboration to improve security across the state.
The governor also commended the Inspector-General of Police and the Oyo State Police Command for establishing the unit, describing it as a partnership between federal and state authorities.
“The initiative is federal, but the impact is local,” he said.
Gunmen had on Friday attacked Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting the school principal, Rachael Alamu, and an unspecified number of students.
The spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the attack and said security operatives had been deployed to the area.
