Ibadan, June 12, 2026 – The Oyo State Government has called on political actors to refrain from making partisan capital out of the recent kidnapping incident in Oriire Local Government Area.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, made the appeal in a statement released on Friday in Ibadan while responding to reports linking fatalities within the Amotekun Corps to the abduction case.
He urged opposition figures to approach the matter responsibly and avoid comments capable of worsening the situation or putting the lives of affected pupils and teachers at greater risk.
Oyelade explained that Governor Seyi Makinde had recently disclosed, in the interest of accountability, that approximately 200 operatives of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, had died over the past six years.
According to him, some opposition members misrepresented the governor’s remarks by suggesting that the deaths were connected to the recent kidnapping incident in Oriire.
He described the claim as misleading and politically motivated, stressing that no Amotekun operative lost his life during the operation linked to the kidnapping.
The commissioner stated that only one security operative sustained injuries during the incident and is currently receiving treatment and recovering.
He noted that the reported deaths recorded by the corps since 2020 stemmed from different circumstances, including health-related issues, natural causes, and casualties recorded during various security assignments.
Oyelade added that all necessary procedures were observed in handling those cases, including notifying the families of affected personnel.
He maintained that the Oyo State Amotekun Corps remains one of the most adequately funded and equipped security outfits in the South-West region.
According to him, the corps currently has a fleet of 181 operational vehicles, 450 motorcycles and more than 2,500 personnel, making it the largest Amotekun formation in the region and among the best compensated.
The commissioner further recalled that Governor Makinde had, since 2021, advocated the establishment of state police and the provision of more sophisticated weapons to security agencies to effectively confront bandits and kidnappers.
He said those appeals had yet to receive the desired level of attention from the relevant authorities.
Oyelade encouraged residents to continue cooperating with security agencies and supporting government initiatives aimed at safeguarding lives and property across the state, expressing confidence that collective efforts would strengthen public safety and stability.