The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, has cautioned against negotiating with terrorists involved in the recent abduction in Oriire Local Government Area, warning that yielding to their demands could encourage further criminal activities.

Speaking during plenary at the Oyo State House of Assembly on June 3, 2026, Ogundoyin urged residents to remain calm and avoid making conclusions without full knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Addressing concerns over the handling of the abduction, the Speaker questioned suggestions that the state government should meet the demands of the kidnappers.

“If you were the governor, would you negotiate with terrorists?” Ogundoyin asked lawmakers during the session.

He further queried why the governor should agree to demands reportedly involving weapons, money, and future concessions in exchange for the release of the victims.

“Why should the governor agree to the terrorists’ ransom request of weapons, money, concession of future? If you were the governor, will you accept to this request, for those people to be integrated into that community?” he said.

The Speaker stressed that members of the public may not be aware of all the details surrounding the incident and urged restraint in public reactions.

“We don’t know the details. Please let’s be sensitive and calm because you do not know the details,” he said.

According to him, continued negotiations and concessions to terrorist groups could have far-reaching security implications.

“The more you negotiate with these people, the more you are going to embolden them,” Ogundoyin warned.

His comments come amid public debate over the state’s response to the abduction and calls from some quarters for authorities to take measures that could secure the release of the victims.

The Oyo State Government has yet to issue a detailed statement on the specific demands allegedly made by the abductors as of the time of filing this report.