Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said preliminary findings surrounding the school abduction incident in Orire Local Government Area revealed a significant gap in intelligence gathering and timely information sharing, warning residents that the failure to report suspicious movements to security agencies had directly undermined efforts to prevent the tragedy.
Makinde made the remarks during the inauguration of the Violent Crime Response Unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Ibadan, describing the specialised tactical unit as a timely and strategic response to rising kidnappings and violent crimes across the country and particularly in Oyo State. He said the VCRU was the first of its kind in the South-West and represented a renewed commitment by the state government and security agencies to strengthen the state’s security architecture.
He said his administration had continued to invest heavily in security through logistics support, surveillance infrastructure, mobility assets, intelligence sharing, and improved inter-agency collaboration, and described the VCRU as a more intelligent, professional, and rapid-response approach to combating violent crimes.
The governor extended prayers and condolences to families that had lost loved ones in recent attacks and maintained that security was the foundation on which economic growth, investment, tourism, and social stability rested. He commended Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu and the Oyo State Police Command for establishing the unit, saying the initiative was federal in origin but local in impact.
