Oyo Govt Denies Paying Ransom Over Abducted Pupils, Teachers

The Oyo State Government has denied claims that ransom was paid to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted in the state.

Vanguard and Punch reported that the denial came from the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, after social media claims linked the alleged payment to commentator VeryDarkMan.

The claim followed the abduction of pupils and teachers by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area, an incident the state said was still being handled through security channels.

Oyelade said the claim was far from the truth and accused irresponsible bloggers of spreading falsehoods capable of misleading the public.

He said the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government were still working to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers, but that no ransom had been paid to the kidnappers, directly or indirectly.

The commissioner urged residents to rely on official channels for updates and said the state remained in collaboration with security agencies on the rescue effort.

Sources: Vanguard, Punch