The Oluwo Ifa of Egbaland, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Ifagbeminiyi Baoku, has called on the Oyo State Government to engage traditional worshippers and harness indigenous spiritual resources to aid the release of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area.
Background of the Abduction
Approximately one month ago, 39 pupils and seven teachers were kidnapped during an attack on different schools in Oriire Local Council. The affected institutions include Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School in Ahoro-Esinle, as well as Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota. The abductors also killed Mr. Michael Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher who was kidnapped from Community Grammar School.
Call for Traditional Involvement
Speaking on the development, Baoku urged Governor Seyi Makinde not to politicize the lives of the abductees, especially when children are involved. He insisted that it is high time the government involved traditionalists in the rescue mission. He dismissed suggestions that traditional worshippers have lost their ancestral powers, stating that traditional practitioners could only participate if the government formally engaged them.
Baoku called on the Oyo State Government to strengthen security agencies with necessary weapons and ammunition, and complement these efforts with charms and ancestral powers to tackle insecurity and rescue the teachers and children from the forest.
Security Votes and Presidential Intervention
The traditional chief questioned how the state government and other Southwest states have utilized their security votes. He urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently address insecurity and rescue the victims, arguing that such efforts would help earn public support for a second term in office.
He stated: "It is time the state government of Oyo State engage traditionalists to rescue the teachers and the children. If the state government calls for the help of traditional worshippers to use ancestral powers, I am sure they will quickly rescue the children and teachers from the den of the kidnappers."
"I also want to appeal to Governor Makinde not to play politics with the rescue of the abductees and equip our security operatives with necessary weapons and after that he should call on traditionalists to arm the operatives with ancestral powers to rescue the victims."
"Let me state these, our governors are not doing well, what are they doing with the security votes? I think our president should not relent and assist Oyo State Government with additional security operatives to ensure the speedy rescue of the victims," he added.
