Makinde Promises Medical Care During Visit to Rescued Oriire Kidnap Victim

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday visited the pupils and teachers rescued from captivity after their abduction in Oriire Local Government Area, assuring that they would receive comprehensive medical and psychological care before reuniting with their families.

The governor spoke after visiting the victims at the 2 Division Medical Services and Hospital in Ibadan, where they are currently receiving treatment following their rescue by security forces.

Makinde commended the military and other security agencies for securing the victims’ release, while paying tribute to officers who lost their lives during the rescue efforts.

“I want to say thank you to our troops, the officers, and we lost some officers and all of our troops as well. So all the families that have lost loved ones in this whole process, we want to assure them that their loved ones would not have died in vain. So I’m extremely, extremely happy,” he said.

The governor said the rescued victims were relieved to have regained their freedom, although many remained physically weak and emotionally traumatised after weeks in captivity.

“First, I can see that they were happy to be out of captivity, just like any of us. When your freedom is taken away, it’s a different set of men. But they are glad to be back,” he said.

According to him, medical personnel are already providing specialised treatment and psychosocial support to help the victims recover from the traumatic experience.

“Some of them are still very frail. We have to do quite a bit of medical intervention, cause the traumatic issues, you know, to be addressed. But we have the team ready to do that,” Makinde added.

He disclosed that the victims would remain under medical observation for the next 48 hours, after which the military is expected to formally hand them over to the Oyo State Government for continued care and rehabilitation.

“With the plan right now, we watch them over the next 48 hours. So by Monday, we think an assessment will be done, and maybe there will be a formal transfer from the military to the state, and then we can manage the process from that point forward,” he explained.

Makinde also said arrangements were underway to reunite the victims with their families, revealing that one of the rescued children had repeatedly asked to see her mother.

“Today we are putting logistics together to at least bring the family members to come and see them. There’s a small girl in there that basically she has been asking, ‘Where’s my mom? Where’s my mom?’ So at least we want the mom to be able to come and see her,” he said.

The governor urged Nigerians to remain united in the face of the country’s security challenges, stressing that periods of crisis require collective action rather than division.

“Well, my final message is that look, it’s our country. All countries around the world they do have challenges. So when we’re challenged, it’s not usually the best time for us to sow seeds of division. It’s the best time for us to come together, you know, and confront our challenges,” he said.

Makinde added that he would later in the week provide Oyo residents and Nigerians with a comprehensive account of the rescue operation.

“In the course of the week, I will officially brief Oyo State people and the nation at large on what exactly has passed,” he