Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area occurred less than 24 hours after he declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde made the remark on Friday while addressing Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and leaders of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Bauchi, recalling that Oyo State had not witnessed a similar incident throughout his seven years in office until the May 15 school abduction.
According to the governor, he publicly declared his presidential ambition at about 4 p.m., and by 9 a.m. the following day, the pupils and teachers had been kidnapped. 
> “For seven years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo State. I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at four o’clock, and by 9 a.m. the following morning, the children were abducted,” Makinde said.
His comments came hours after the Presidency announced the successful rescue of all the abducted pupils and teachers after spending 56 days in captivity.
The Presidency said the victims were freed during a coordinated operation involving the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force. It added that eight suspected kidnappers were arrested and are currently in DSS custody, while several others were neutralised during the operation.
The Federal Government also stated that no ransom was paid and no negotiations were held with the kidnappers, despite their demand for the release of one of their detained leaders facing prosecution.
Reacting to the development, Makinde described the rescue as “a big relief” for the affected families and the people of Oyo State, saying the operation brought an end to nearly two months of anxiety following the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
In a telephone interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the governor thanked President Bola Tinubu, the military, the DSS, the Nigeria Police, service commanders and other security agencies for their efforts in securing the victims’ release.
“It’s such a big relief for all of us and for those waiting for this past 57 days,” Makinde said.
“I think it’s a big relief for all of us. We’ll use the opportunity to say thank you to our service commanders, the Nigerian Police, the DSS, the military, the high command, and of course the President, for pushing really hard to have this thing done,” he added.
Makinde said he was “overjoyed” by the development but noted that he would speak further after gathering his thoughts on the successful operation.
He also commended the media for sustaining public attention on the abduction, saying consistent coverage helped keep all stakeholders focused until the victims regained their freedom.
President Tinubu equally praised the security agencies for rescuing the victims without collateral damage and directed relevant emergency agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide medical care, counselling and other support for the rescued pupils and teachers.
Makinde had formally declared his 2027 presidential ambition on May 14 during a joint rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibadan, where he pledged to “reset Nigeria.” He was later adopted as the APM’s presidential candidate through a consensus nomination.
