The Oyo State Government has described the life imprisonment handed to three persons convicted over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area as inadequate, insisting the punishment fails to reflect the severity of the crime.
The state, however, said it would respect the Federal High Court’s judgment and would not appeal the sentence despite its reservations.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, made the government’s position known during an interview with journalists in Ibadan, where he commented on the court’s verdict and outlined measures being taken to strengthen school security across the state.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had sentenced three individuals to life imprisonment after convicting them of concealing information about the masterminds behind the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
Reacting to the judgment, Mr Oyelade described the sentence as “cold comfort,” arguing that it failed to match the magnitude of the offence and the trauma inflicted on victims, their families and the state.
“The ruling is a cold comfort. We expected capital punishment for the convicts, as that would better reflect the gravity of abducting innocent schoolchildren and teachers,” he said.
The commissioner maintained that those who concealed information about the kidnappers were equally culpable as those who carried out the abduction.
“It is myopic for anyone to try to create a wedge between the crime of concealment committed by these people and those who actually perpetrated the crime. They are one and the same,” he added.
Despite expressing dissatisfaction, Mr Oyelade said the state government had no intention of challenging the court’s decision. “The government will not be appealing the judgment. While we have our reservations, we respect what the law has said,” he stated.
He nevertheless praised the Federal High Court for the speedy trial and conclusion of the case, describing the development as a positive signal for Nigeria’s justice system and proof that justice could be dispensed without unnecessary delays.
The commissioner called for a comprehensive review of kidnapping, anti-terrorism and other relevant criminal laws, saying the country’s legal framework must be strengthened to effectively tackle kidnapping, terrorism and evolving security threats. According to him, tougher legislation, backed by swift prosecution and effective enforcement, would provide a stronger deterrent against criminality.
Mr Oyelade disclosed that the Oyo State Government collaborated closely with the Federal Government, security agencies and prosecutors throughout the investigation and prosecution of the case to ensure that all those found culpable were brought to justice.
On efforts to prevent similar attacks, the commissioner said the state had continued to reinforce security around schools through the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, alongside other security agencies.
“We are not relaxing. Security around schools has been strengthened through Amotekun and other security agencies. Even where there is no visible physical presence of security personnel in every school, intelligence gathering and rapid response mechanisms have been enhanced to improve the safety of schools,” he said.
The commissioner also dismissed claims that the state government had abandoned the rescued victims and their families, insisting that support for them had remained continuous.
“The situation is unfortunate and we will not drag issues with anybody. I am from Ogbomoso and Professor Alamu, the husband of the abducted school principal, Mrs Rachael Alamu, is my brother. I can assure you that the state government has been doing everything that needs to be done,” he said.