Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has assured residents that the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area will be rescued alive, declaring that Oyo State would never experience a tragedy similar to the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.

Makinde gave the assurance on Tuesday while addressing protesters led by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), at his private residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan.

The protest was organised in response to growing concerns over insecurity and recent kidnapping incidents across the state, particularly the abduction of schoolchildren and their teachers.

Addressing the demonstrators, the governor said his administration was fully committed to securing the release of the victims and would spare no effort in achieving that objective.

“Let me make it very, very clear, Oyo State is not Chibok and we will not be Chibok,” Makinde declared.

He disclosed that security operatives had made sacrifices in the ongoing rescue efforts, including the loss of military personnel.

“We have lost men, even soldiers and officers, and I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed a few days ago,” he said.

In an emotional appeal, Makinde stated that he was prepared to make personal sacrifices if it would guarantee the safe return of the children.

“If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out? I will do it. I have lived a good life, I’m almost 60 and it doesn’t matter. Our children will never be in the same situation as Chibok children,” he said.

The governor acknowledged the delicate nature of the rescue mission, noting that authorities were proceeding cautiously to prevent additional casualties.

“We’ve lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more, but if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it,” he added.

Makinde also expressed support for the protesters’ right to demand accountability, saying he understood their concerns.

“If I am not in government, I will be you; I’ll be protesting with you. I do not have anything against what you are doing,” he said.

According to him, protests and civic engagement remain important tools for holding leaders accountable and ensuring responsive governance.

While accepting responsibility as governor, Makinde pointed to constitutional limitations on the powers of state governments over security agencies.

“I will not shift blame. Our reality is that the state government is not in charge of all the security agencies,” he said.

He explained that although governors can engage security chiefs operating within their states, they do not have direct authority to deploy federal security personnel.

The governor reiterated that security has remained one of the pillars of his administration since 2019, citing the establishment of the Amotekun Corps as part of efforts to strengthen local security architecture.

“When I came in, security was one of the cardinal principles of this administration. That is why we set up Amotekun. Amotekun has not been armed adequately, but that is our reality,” he noted.

Makinde further revealed his personal concern over the prolonged captivity of the victims, stating that more than a month had passed since the incident occurred.

“I am also distressed because I have children of my own. It has been one month and one day already,” he said.

Although he declined to disclose operational details, the governor maintained that there was no intelligence indicating that any of the abducted children or teachers had died.

“Because of the nature of the security operation involved, I cannot divulge a lot of information, but I can tell you that there is no information that any of those children or their teachers have died,” he said.

Describing the situation as unprecedented, Makinde noted that the victims were mostly nursery and primary school pupils, making the rescue operation particularly sensitive.

“This is the first time anywhere in Nigeria that people have kidnapped nursery and primary school children. These are children that cannot even run or do anything for themselves,” he said.

The governor disclosed that government officials were in contact with the abductors as part of efforts to secure the children’s release, despite concerns about negotiating with criminal elements.

“If government starts negotiating with bandits, it means we are surrendering sovereignty to the bandits, but in this special situation, if we want those children alive, we have to bend backwards,” he stated.

He assured residents that lessons would be learnt from the incident and pledged to prevent a recurrence.

“Once the children are out, I give you the assurance that it will not occur again in Oyo State,” Makinde said.

He also lamented the wider impact of insecurity on education, agriculture and economic activities across the country.

“Nigeria does not deserve this. In an atmosphere of insecurity, hardly can you do anything. Schools have been shut, farmers have left their farms, and we are talking about food security,” he added.

The governor commended the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully and urged them to maintain order.

“We have been monitoring you since you started this morning. You have not destroyed anything. You have gone about the protest in a civilised manner,” he said.

Earlier, VeryDarkMan said the protest was intended to pressure authorities into accelerating efforts to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers.

He expressed concern over the lack of public information regarding the victims’ welfare and criticised the prolonged delay in securing their release.

“We are here to also commit ourselves. If the governor does not amend, we are ready to volunteer ourselves to go into the bushes with the police, army, air force and any security operatives that are ready,” he said.

According to the activist, many residents remain anxious because there has been little information about the children’s condition.

“As of now, we do not even know the condition of the children. We do not know if the children are still alive. Over 45 of them were taken into the bush with their teachers, and one of the teachers has been beheaded. It is quite unfortunate,” he said.

VeryDarkMan said the protesters were seeking concrete assurances from the government regarding ongoing rescue efforts.

“We want to tell the governor, what is the plan and when are we going to see the children?” he queried.