Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has visited the pupils and teachers rescued from the Oriire Local Government school abduction, assuring them of continued medical treatment and psychological support as they recover from their ordeal.
Makinde met the victims on Saturday at the 2 Division Nigerian Army Medical Facility, where they are receiving care after spending weeks in captivity. The rescued group includes all 39 abducted pupils and five of the seven teachers.
The governor expressed joy over their safe return and praised the military and other security agencies for their efforts in securing their release.
“I am very happy that the children are back, all 39 of them, alongside five of the seven teachers. We give glory to God, and we appreciate our troops, the officers and men who played a significant role in securing their release,” he said.
Makinde also honoured security personnel who lost their lives during the rescue mission, promising that their sacrifices would always be remembered.
“We also remember the officers and personnel we lost during this process. To all the families who lost their loved ones, we want to assure them that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” he added.
The governor noted that although the victims were happy to be free, some were still weak and would need further medical attention, while others would receive counselling to help them recover from the trauma of their captivity.
“Having interacted with the children and their teachers, I can say that they are happy to be out of captivity. When anyone’s freedom is taken away, it affects their state of mind, but they are grateful to be back.
“Some of them are still very weak and will require medical attention. There are also post-traumatic issues that need to be addressed, but we have a team ready to provide the necessary support and care,” he said.
Makinde disclosed that the victims would remain under observation for another 48 hours before being formally handed over to the state government and reunited with their families.
He also revealed that arrangements had begun to allow relatives to visit the victims, particularly a young girl who had repeatedly asked to see her mother.
“Today, we are already putting logistics in place to allow some family members to come and see them. There is a little girl among them who has continuously been asking, ‘Where is my mum? Where is my mum?’ We want to make it possible for her mother to come and reunite with her,” the governor said.
𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐲𝐨 𝐏𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐬, 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥
Credit: X | DejiAdesogan
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