Group Seeks Compensation For Victims Of Oyo Abduction

A faith-based, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has sought compensation for the rescued students and teachers in Oriire local government area of Oyo State.

The group, which lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the Nigerian security agencies over the rescue of 46 kidnapped victims at Oriire, near Ogbomosho, called for the immortalisation of security agents.

Reacting to the development yesterday, the executive director of the group, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, said the arrested kidnappers would have been nailed to the cross if Shari’ah had been allowed to decide their fate.

He added, “After spending 56 days in captivity, the Nigerian security agents successfully rescued the 39 children and seven teachers kidnapped at Oriire, near Ogbomosho.

MURIC commended the audacity manifested by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the resilience exhibited by Governor Seyi Makinde and the gallantry displayed by the security agents involved in the extensive operation.

“We recall that Nigerians confronted both President Tinubu and Governor Makinde over the sad incident. Unobjective criticisms flew from the right, left, and centre as if the issue at stake were as easy as picking out an unwanted ant from a plate of rice.

“But President Tinubu and Governor Makinde took the criticisms with equanimity. They accepted it as one of the hazards of leadership.

“Critics forgot that the criminal elements had turned their victims into human shields, and any rash move to rescue them could result in a huge calamity.

“Nigerians are yet to learn that it is easier to rescue one or two people from a kidnapper’s den. The larger the number, the more complicated the situation.

‎”But our security agents wore out the enemy, isolated them technically and mesmerised them psychologically. This is a factor critics failed to see.

“The ring formed around the target area was instrumental to the restriction of the kidnappers to one spot. They were cornered, helpless, and frustrated. They regretted the day they picked kidnapping as a profession.

‎”Nonetheless, we are constrained to fire a caveat emptor: this class of kidnappers deserves no legal courtesy, no judicial protocol, and no human rights obligations.

“They cast away the right to a dignified trial the day they beheaded teacher Michael Oyedokun. They do not belong to the community of homo sapiens compos mentis.

‎”We pity lawyers who will defend them. Nigerians want to see them tied to the backs of trucks and dragged on the streets of Ogbomosho. Democracy has proved its own weakness here.”