President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s refusal to negotiate with kidnappers, terrorists or other violent criminal groups, disclosing that abductors of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State had demanded both ransom money and the release of detained gang members, demands the government rejected outright.

Speaking while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, at the State House, Tinubu said his administration would never negotiate with murderers and terrorists, describing the successful rescue in Oyo State as evidence of the country’s improving security strategy. He disclosed that the federal government is restructuring the country’s security architecture by expanding the Nigerian Army from eight to twelve divisions to improve response times, alongside strengthening local security through the planned establishment of state police with safeguards against abuse and enhancing the capacity of forest guards to pursue criminals in ungoverned forest areas.

The president said intelligence gathering remains central to fighting insecurity and urged traditional rulers to mobilize communities to report suspicious activity, disclosing that some of those involved in the Oriire abduction were not Nigerians, linking cross border insecurity to instability in the wider Sahel region. He acknowledged that security challenges remain significant but expressed confidence that ongoing reforms are yielding results, urging Nigerians to continue supporting and encouraging security personnel for their sacrifices.

Tinubu also urged state governments to prioritize road infrastructure that supports security operations over less essential projects such as flyovers, arguing that better roads would improve the mobility of security agencies into vulnerable communities, and pledged to continue regular engagement with traditional rulers as key partners in intelligence gathering and community policing.

Responding, Olubadan Ladoja thanked the president for refusing to pay ransom, describing it as a turning point in Nigeria’s anti kidnapping efforts, and urged sustained security presence across the forest corridor stretching from Oyo through Niger to Kwara states, while commending ongoing federal infrastructure projects in Oyo State worth more than two trillion naira.