The Oyo State Government has dismissed reports claiming it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area, insisting that no such payment was made.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the claim as false and misleading, accusing bloggers of spreading misinformation capable of creating unnecessary panic.
According to Oyelade, both the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government have continued to work with security agencies to secure the safe release of the victims, but no ransom has been paid, either directly or through intermediaries.
He urged residents to ignore the reports and rely only on information released through official government channels.
The commissioner said the state remained committed to working with security agencies until the abducted pupils and teachers regain their freedom.
The government’s response followed a viral video by social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde had paid ransom to the kidnappers around May 15, 2026, but claimed the abductors refused to release the victims.
VeryDarkMan also alleged that the 39 pupils and seven teachers had remained in captivity for about 50 days, expressing concern that the country appeared to have shifted attention from their plight.
He questioned the condition of the victims and warned against allowing the case to mirror the prolonged captivity of some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
The Oyo State Government, however, maintained that the ransom allegation is untrue and reiterated that efforts to rescue the abductees are still ongoing.
