Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, met on Sunday with the widow and children of a teacher killed by bandits during a mass abduction in Oriire Local Government Area, promising the family that the federal government would support them and that those responsible would be brought to justice.

During the condolence visit, Gbajabiamila conveyed the President’s personal sympathies to Mrs. Mary Oyedokun, the widow of slain mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun. He assured her that the government would not abandon the family and pledged a comprehensive plan to ensure their wellbeing. “Sorry about what happened,” the Chief of Staff said, according to a presidential aide. “We shall arrest those people that did this wicked thing. We shall also do everything needed for you and the kids”.

The presidential delegation, which included National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, visited Ogbomoso on Sunday to assess the security situation in the affected communities. The visit comes after armed men on motorcycles stormed several schools in the Oriire area on May 15, abducting 46 pupils and teachers. One of the victims, a teacher of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, was subsequently killed while in captivity.

In response to the abduction and killing, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State and directed a specialised intelligence-led rescue operation to secure the release of the remaining captives. Gbajabiamila noted that the president was “deeply troubled” by the incident, vowing that “whatever it takes, our children and teachers will be brought back home safely”.