I’d have entered the bush to free Oyo pupils, says Obi

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Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has said he would have personally gone into the forest where pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, were held if he were President.

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He insisted that everyone in the camp would have been brought out, even if the operation resulted in casualties.

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Obi also faulted President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction, claiming the President failed to personally reach out to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde during the over 50-day ordeal.

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The former Anambra State governor made the remarks during an interview on State of the Nation with Peter Obi on Afia TV’s Eastern Eye, hosted by Alex Ogbodo, which aired live on Thursday.

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The Oriire abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when dozens of schoolchildren and teachers were kidnapped in Oyo State.

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The victims spent about 56 days in captivity before they were rescued by security forces in July.

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Speaking on the incident, Obi said decisive leadership was required to tackle insecurity, adding that he would not have waited weeks before taking action.

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He said, “Days of kidnap of Oyo children. The President did not call the governor. What do you mean? Fifty days.

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“But I’ll be there in two days. Is the bush not in Nigeria? That bush they went in. The bush is in Nigeria.

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“Everybody in that bush will come out. Everybody. There might be casualties but everybody will come out.”

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Obi also criticised what he described as the secrecy surrounding security operations in Nigeria, saying authorities should publicly demonstrate results after arresting criminal suspects.

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“And it is time when we say we resolve something. We arrest some people. Parade the people. Let people see them. What is happening?

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“When America or other countries kill people like that, they parade them. They show it. Everybody sees it.

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“In Nigeria, everything is shrouded in secrecy,” he said.

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Recalling his tenure as Anambra governor, Obi said he confronted criminal activities in forests across the state by taking direct action after consulting then-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

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He said he informed Obasanjo that a particular forest had become a security threat and insisted that criminal elements operating there had to be driven out.

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Obi also made mention of several notorious criminals who, according to him, were killed during security operations in Anambra while he was governor.

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He stressed that effective leadership required clear authority and personal responsibility.

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“No way. It’s either I’m in charge or you people are in charge. I go home. One person must be in charge.

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“And if you’re in charge, if you want to lead, you should be ready to die. If you don’t want to, you go home. One must be in charge,” Obi added.

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