Oyo State Government has refuted allegations made by social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), that it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the claim as false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the
Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the government insisted
that the allegation was “far from the truth”, accusing “irresponsible bloggers”
of deliberately spreading falsehoods to create confusion and mislead members of
the public.
Prince Oyelade stated that while both the Oyo State
Government and the Federal Government have been working relentlessly to secure
the safe release of the abducted pupils and their teachers, no ransom has been
paid to the kidnappers, either directly or indirectly.
He stressed that the ongoing rescue efforts are being
pursued through legitimate security channels, urging the public to disregard
the reports circulating on social media and other platforms.
The commissioner further appealed to residents to rely
solely on information disseminated through official government channels,
warning against the dangers of misinformation capable of undermining ongoing
security operations.
He reaffirmed that the Oyo State Government remained in
close collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of all the
abductees and bring the unfortunate incident to a successful conclusion.
The statement read: “The claim that the Oyo State Government
paid ransom to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers is far
from the truth.
“It is the handiwork of irresponsible bloggers whose
intention is to create confusion and misinform the public.
“Although the Oyo State Government and the Federal
Government have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the
abducted children and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the bandits,
either directly or indirectly.
“Members of the public are advised to disregard these false
reports and rely only on information released through official government
channels.
“The Oyo State Government remains committed to working
closely with security agencies to ensure the safe release of the abductees and
bring this sad event to a close.”
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