Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, the Governor of Ekiti State, credited the safe release of the kidnapped students and teachers from Apostolic Faith Nursery and Primary School in Emure Ekiti to the assistance of President Bola Tinubu, law enforcement agencies, and the people of Ekiti as a whole.
The children and their teachers, who were abducted on Monday, were freed in the early hours of Sunday, although the school bus driver tragically lost his life at the hands of the kidnappers.
According to Punch, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, Governor Oyebanji expressed his appreciation for Tinubu’s specific instructions that facilitated the search and rescue mission. He also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the security agencies and the support of the Ekiti people at home and abroad.
Given the children’s traumatic ordeal, Governor Oyebanji instructed the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, to take the children to the state teaching hospital, Ado Ekiti, for comprehensive medical treatment and post-trauma therapy.
Oyebanji, who stood watch alongside Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, until 3:00 am to secure the release of the children, acknowledged the solidarity shown by colleagues, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and former governors.
He also expressed gratitude to the Ekiti State Caucus in the National Assembly and members of the state House of Assembly for their support, emphasizing thankfulness to God.
While emphasizing his administration’s commitment to eradicating crime in the state, he pledged to make the environment unwelcoming for criminals. He emphasized the determination to apprehend and prosecute the killers of the two Ekiti obas, urging citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.