Makinde receives NAF delegation, calls for patience on Oyo abduction

Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde. Credit: Oyo State Government

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Friday, called for more patience over the ongoing efforts to rescue teachers and pupils abducted in Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, noting that all hands have been on deck towards bringing the abductees back safely. The governor stated this while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Air Force led by the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Abubakar Suleh, which paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi in Ibadan. Makinde, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju in Ibadan, the state capital, appreciated the Air Force for its support since the incident occurred, on Friday, May 15, 2026. He noted that while the two Diamond-42 Surveillance Aircraft purchased by the State Government are still being assembled at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Lagos, the Force yielded its Diamond-42 Aircraft for surveillance efforts and rescue process, adding that this has provided the government with real-time information being worked on to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted residents. Makinde declared that the state understands and appreciates what the ground troops are facing in the bid to rescue the abductees, and that patience is required to successfully carry out the operation. The governor, who appreciated the Chief of Air Staff and the officers and men of the Air Force for their support since the children and their teachers were kidnapped, said the state has enjoyed tremendous support from the officers and men in Ibadan and the special support deployed by the CAS to support the operation. He said, “We are distressed, but the support that we have received, especially from the Air Force, has given us a lot of encouragement and has given a lot of insight into what we are dealing with. “When we took the decision to get the Diamond-42 Aircraft, it was taken with the Air Force in mind. We were going to go for the Caravan. “In fact, we already sent people out and they had given us the cost of the Caravan. Then, we consulted with the Air Force. We set up a team and said, how do we ensure that we have a platform that if we need maintenance, engineering support, or we need to train pilots for that platform, we can get them easily? When they brought their report, it was obvious that the Diamond-42 was the way to go. “Yes, we procured the Diamond-42 Aircraft, and the Air Officer Commanding has just confirmed that those aircraft are at the hangar of th