Former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that the recent kidnappings of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State may have been deliberately orchestrated to embarrass President Bola Tinubu and portray the Federal Government in a negative light.
Speaking during an interview on Channel TV, Fayose claimed that he suspected political motives behind the incident, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the school kidnappings and the response of the Oyo State Government raised questions.
“I sometimes believe that the abduction at Oyo School was orchestrated by the Oyo State Government to blackmail President Tinubu,” Fayose said.
The former governor stressed that while he could be mistaken, he found the timing and handling of the incident troubling.
“In Oyo State, I strongly believe, though I might be wrong, but this sometimes might be orchestrated,” he stated.
Fayose also criticised Governor Seyi Makinde, accusing him of failing to respond promptly after the abduction of the pupils and teachers.
According to him, the governor was preoccupied with political activities at a time when urgent action was expected from the state government.
“The governor of Oyo State had his nomination and that of his candidates in the face of this abduction. He did not take any action, no steps were taken. It was after those nominations that he went to the families to visit them,” he said.
The former governor further argued that responsibility for addressing such security incidents rests first with local and state authorities before attention shifts to the presidency.
“Before you get to the president in the hierarchy of leadership and governance, there is local government, there is state. State has security votes and there are people that are supposed to be working,” Fayose added.
His remarks come amid public outrage over the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, an incident that prompted President Tinubu to deploy a high-powered federal delegation to the affected communities and direct security agencies to intensify rescue efforts.
Fayose’s allegations have added a political dimension to the debate surrounding the Oyo school kidnappings.
