Oyo Assembly Backs No-Ransom Policy, Urges Swift Action Against Bandits

The Oyo State House of Assembly has rejected calls for the state government to negotiate with bandits, insisting that efforts should instead be focused on intensifying rescue operations for teachers and students abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.

The resolution was adopted on Wednesday during plenary shortly after lawmakers returned from the Eid-el-Kabir recess.
Members of the Assembly opposed any move to engage in dialogue with the kidnappers who attacked Ahoro-Esiele community on Friday, May 15, 2026. The coordinated attack resulted in the abduction of victims from Ahoro-Esiele, Esinele, Oyo, and Yawota communities.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele.
Titled, “Urgent Need for the Executive Arm of Government Through Its Security Architecture to Proactively Nip in the Bud the Spike and Recurring Bandit Attacks on Oriire Communities Since the Beginning of 2026 and to Intensify Rescue and Manhunt Operations to Secure the Release of the Abductees of the Recent Attack on Esinele, Oyo and Yawota Communities,” the motion drew attention to the increasing insecurity across the local government area.
The Assembly urged the executive arm of government, through its security agencies and structures, to take proactive steps to curb the rising wave of bandit attacks that have affected Oriire communities since January 2026. Lawmakers also called for stronger rescue efforts and intensified manhunt operations aimed at securing the release of those abducted during the recent attacks.
In addition, the lawmakers directed security agencies to strengthen efforts to track down and apprehend the bandits responsible for the attacks on Ahoro-Esiele, Esinele, Oyo, and Yawota communities.
The Assembly’s position is in line with the Federal Government’s no-ransom policy, which prioritises security operations and enforcement measures over negotiations with criminal groups.