Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has commended
President Bola Tinubu for the rescue of the abducted schoolchildren and
teachers in Oriire LGA of Oyo state.
Speaking on Thursday when he led a delegation of traditional
rulers from Oyo on a courtesy visit to the president at the State House in
Abuja, Ladoja said the operation that led to the rescue of the abductees marked
a turning point in Nigeria’s fight against kidnapping.
The monarch said the people of Oyo state initially feared
the abduction could become “another Chibok” but praised the federal government
and security agencies for securing the victims’ release without paying a
ransom.
“When we heard about the incident, we were apprehensive. But
we have now found that between you and your security people, which I must thank
them through you, you have made a turning point in the issue of kidnapping in
Nigeria,” Ladoja told Tinubu.
“We cannot thank you enough for that feat. It was a big feat
because the people of Oyo state said, ‘are we going to become another Chibok?
Is it going to be a perennial issue?'”
Ladoja said the government’s refusal to pay ransom and its
decision not to negotiate with kidnappers from a position of weakness
demonstrated its resolve to tackle insecurity.
“The fact that you did not pay ransom, the fact that you
stood your ground shows that we now have a government that knows what it is
doing,” he said.
“People now know that they have a president who will not
negotiate from a position of weakness with any kidnapper.”
He, however, urged the president to maintain a strong
security presence in the forest reserve stretching across Oyo, Kwara and Niger
states to prevent kidnappers from returning.
“You have been able to send away all the kidnappers but
please let us have the presence of the security agencies there so that they do
not regather,” he said.
Ladoja said the forest extends from Iseyin through Igboho
and Kishi into Kwara and Niger states, adding that securing the area would
significantly improve security in Oyo state.
The former Oyo governor also praised the Tinubu
administration’s infrastructure drive in the state, noting that about 10
ongoing federal projects worth over N2 trillion had renewed hope among
residents.
“I don’t think we have had it as good before. The decay in
the road networks is becoming something that we’re now hopeful that by the time
you complete your second term, they’ll be things of the past,” he said.
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