Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu did not contact him during the 56 days that schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area spent in captivity.
Makinde made the disclosure on Friday during an interview on Arise Television, expressing disappointment that the President did not reach out despite the prolonged security crisis.
The governor said he had expected Tinubu to call during the ordeal but received no communication from him throughout the period.
“I tried to see President Tinubu when the Oriire schoolchildren and teachers were abducted in Oyo State, but President Tinubu didn’t call me during their 56-day captivity. I expected him to call me,” he said.
He also revealed that efforts to reach the Presidency through the State House Chief of Protocol were unsuccessful, as his calls were not answered.
“I even made an attempt to call the State House Chief of Protocol, but he didn’t pick up my calls,” Makinde added.
According to the governor, the lack of communication was particularly disappointing as his administration was working around the clock to secure the victims’ freedom.
The abduction of the schoolchildren and their teachers triggered widespread concern across Oyo State, with parents, residents and other stakeholders demanding urgent intervention from the state and federal governments.
The victims were eventually released after spending 56 days in captivity.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), made the disclosure while reflecting on the government’s response to the incident and the support he expected from the Federal Government.
