The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, has disclosed that terrorists holding abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area are demanding weapons, money and concessions on future Nigerian laws as conditions for their release.
Ogundoyin made the revelation while addressing the growing debate over whether governments should negotiate with kidnappers and terrorist groups to secure the freedom of victims.
According to the Speaker, the demands being made by the abductors extend beyond financial ransom and include requests that could significantly strengthen their operational capacity and influence.
“To bring these children and teachers back, if it is up to you, will you negotiate with terrorists if terrorists ask for weapons, they ask for money, they ask for concessions on future laws of this land as part of their ransom?” he asked.
The Speaker also questioned the long-term implications of granting such demands.
“If you were the governor, will you accept those ransoms? Will you accept that those people should be accepted into that community?” he queried.
Ogundoyin warned that yielding to the demands of armed groups could create dangerous precedents and encourage further criminal activities.
“The more you negotiate with these people, the more you embolden them,” he stated.
His comments come amid mounting pressure on authorities to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted during coordinated attacks on schools in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
The kidnapping has sparked nationwide outrage, protests by civil society groups, an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State, and renewed calls for stronger action against terrorism and kidnapping.
While some stakeholders have advocated negotiations to save the lives of the victims, others argue that making concessions to terrorist groups could undermine national security and encourage future attacks.
The abduction remains one of the most high-profile security incidents in the South-West this year, with government officials, security agencies and community leaders continuing efforts to secure the safe return of the victims.
