The Egbe Omo Yoruba North America has criticised governors in the South-West over what it described as a failure to confront worsening insecurity, following the abduction of schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The group said the kidnapping of elementary school pupils highlighted growing security lapses in a region long regarded as a centre of education, peace and economic development.

On May 15, 2026, approximately 39 students and seven teachers across three schools, including Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School, in Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, were abducted by bandits.

In a communiqué issued on Thursday after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council, the organisation expressed concern over what it called the inability of political leaders to provide adequate protection for residents, particularly schoolchildren.

The statement was signed by the group’s National President, Ayodeji Famuyide, National Secretary, Akinrotimi Kuteyi, and National Secretary of Public Relations, Funmilola Iyiola.

“We are alarmed at the attitude and complacency of the Southwest governors and the governor of Oyo State, who is expected by his constitutional duty to safeguard lives and property in the state,” the group said.

According to the organisation, the abduction demonstrated the urgent need for a coordinated regional security framework to combat kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes increasingly affecting communities across the South-West.

The group called on the Oyo State government to deploy all available security resources to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted pupils.

It also urged Southwest governors to move beyond political declarations and establish an effective security architecture capable of responding to emerging threats across the region.

Egbe Omo Yoruba argued that the effectiveness of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, had been undermined by inadequate operational support and equipment.

“Establishment of Amotekun without enough security gadgets is akin to sacrificing our people for political mileage,” the communiqué stated.

The organisation further appealed to traditional rulers and community leaders to hold elected officials accountable for security failures, irrespective of political affiliations.

It also criticised the Federal Government for what it described as insufficient attention to security challenges in the Southwest, urging authorities to prioritise the protection of lives and property across the region.

The group renewed its longstanding advocacy for the creation of state police, arguing that a decentralised policing system had become essential to effectively address insecurity.

According to the association, rising incidents of kidnapping, attacks on schools, killings and assaults on rural communities have eroded public confidence in government and heightened fears among residents.

While expressing solidarity with the families of the abducted children, the organisation called for urgent action to ensure their safe return and prevent similar incidents.

“Children represent the future of any society or nation, and the inability to protect them from any form of kidnapping represents a society on the brink of moral and political bankruptcy,” the group said. (The PUNCH)

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