Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential aspirant Peter Obi has said he would have personally gone into the forest where the abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire, Oyo State, were being held if he had been President.
According to Obi, everyone inside the camp would have been rescued, even if the operation came at a cost.
He also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction, claiming the President failed to personally contact Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde during the more than 50 days the victims spent in captivity.
Obi made the remarks during an interview on State of the Nation with Peter Obi on Afia TV’s Eastern Eye, hosted by Alex Ogbodo, which aired on Thursday.
The victims were kidnapped on May 15, 2026, in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and regained their freedom after spending about 56 days in captivity following a security operation in July.
Commenting on the incident, Obi said insecurity demands bold and timely action from leaders.
He said, “Days of kidnap of Oyo children. The President did not call the governor. What do you mean? Fifty days.
“But I’ll be there in two days. Is the bush not in Nigeria? That bush they went in. The bush is in Nigeria.
“Everybody in that bush will come out. Everybody. There might be casualties but everybody will come out.”
Obi also questioned the secrecy surrounding security operations in Nigeria, arguing that security agencies should publicly display arrested suspects to assure citizens that progress is being made.
He said, “And it is time when we say we resolve something. We arrest some people. Parade the people. Let people see them. What is happening?
“When America or other countries kill people like that, they parade them. They show it. Everybody sees it.
“In Nigeria, everything is shrouded in secrecy.”
