Makinde: I’ll Sacrifice Myself to Rescue Abducted Ogbomoso Schoolchildren, Says Army Lieutenant Killed in Operation

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has vowed to risk his own life if that is what it takes to secure the release of schoolchildren and teachers abducted by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Makinde spoke on Tuesday while addressing protesters led by Martins Otse, the activist and social media influencer popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), at the Oyo State Government House in Ibadan.

Hundreds of protesters marched through major roads in the Oyo capital before converging on the government house to demand the urgent rescue of the abductees, who clocked one month in captivity on Monday.

The governor disclosed that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed during the rescue operation, marking the first officially confirmed fatality among security personnel involved in the mission.

“Oyo state is not Chibok and it will not be Chibok. We have lost men, soldiers on this. I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed a few days ago,” he told the protesters.

“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 am almost 60. It doesn’t matter. My own father died at 76,” Makinde said.

“This is Oyo state. They know that this is not Chibok and our children will never be in the same situation as Chibok children. We are doing everything possible, including what you suggested. But there is the potential for needless loss of lives. We have lost a teacher already,” he said.

TheCable and The Guild both reported Makinde’s remarks, with The Guild confirming the lieutenant’s death was confirmed by the governor two days after the incident.

The abduction, first reported on May 17, has drawn national outrage, with parents and community leaders calling for intensified action by security forces.

Sources: TheCable; The Guild; The Guardian