Oyo Govt Refutes VeryDarkMan’s Claim Of Paying Ransom For Abducted Schoolchildren

The Oyo State Government has denied reports that it paid ransom to secure the release of the 39 pupils and seven teachers who were kidnapped by gunmen in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.

The denial followed a viral video shared on X by social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), who alleged that the Oyo government had paid the kidnappers, but the victims had still not been freed.

“Yesterday, I got information that the Oyo State Government paid ransom for the release of the schoolchildren and teachers abducted on May 15. But the kidnappers collected the money and have still refused to release the children,” he said.

Responding to the allegation, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, described the claim as false and “far from the truth.”

The commissioner also accused some bloggers of spreading misleading information capable of causing unnecessary panic and confusion.

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“Although both the Oyo State and Federal Governments have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the bandits, either directly or indirectly,” Oyelade said.

He advised residents to ignore the circulating report and rely only on verified information issued through official government channels.

The commissioner also assured the public that security agencies are continuing efforts to rescue the abducted students and teachers safely while working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

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