… Replies VeryDarkMan
CITIZENS COMPASS— The Oyo State Government on Friday, tackled the popular social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for alleging that it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government, Ogbomosho area of the State.
Earlier in the day, VDM had released a viral video alleging that the state government paid ransome to secure the release of the abductees but their abductors refused to release them.
Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in a statement, said the government described the allegation as false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.
VDM alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde paid ransom for the release of the 39 abducted victims but claimed the kidnappers refused to release them despite receiving the money.
However, the government urged residents to disregard the reports and rely only on information released through official government channels.
He said neither the Oyo State Government nor the Federal Government had paid any ransom directly or indirectly to the kidnappers. He noted that rescue efforts were being pursued strictly through legitimate security channels.
He urged residents to disregard the circulating reports and rely solely on official government communication, warning that misinformation could jeopardise sensitive rescue operations and endanger lives.
Prince Oyelade reaffirmed that the Oyo State Government remained in close collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of all abductees and bring the incident to a successful conclusion.
“The claim that the Oyo State Government paid ransom to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers is far from the truth. It is the handiwork of irresponsible bloggers whose intention is to create confusion and misinform the public.”
