Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has revealed that a Nigerian Army lieutenant was killed during ongoing rescue operations to free the schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Oriire Local Government Area, making the disclosure on Tuesday, June 16, while addressing protesters at the Government House in Ibadan.
The protest, led by activist and social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), saw hundreds of demonstrators march through major roads in Ibadan exactly one month after the abduction, demanding the immediate release of the victims.
It will be recalled that on May 15, 2026, gunmen suspected to be members of a Boko Haram faction stormed three schools in Oriire LGA, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a school principal.
Days after the abduction, one of the seized teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was killed in captivity.
Addressing the crowd, Governor Makinde vowed that the situation would not mirror the 2014 Chibok tragedy, declaring:
“First, let me make it very, very clear: Oyo state is not Chibok, and it will not be Chibok.”
Confirming the soldier’s death, he stated:
“I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian army was killed a few days ago.”
In an emotional appeal, Makinde added:
“If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out, I will do it. I have lived a good life. I’m almost 60. It doesn’t matter.”
He further assured Nigerians that authorities were doing everything possible to secure the victims’ release while minimising further loss of life, saying:
“We’ve lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more.”
Security agencies are said to be conducting a sensitive rescue operation, with officials urging patience to avoid endangering the lives of those still in captivity.
Watch the video below:
“We have lost officers in the course of rescuing the abducted Oriire schoolchildren and teachers. An army lieutenant was also killed a few days ago.” — Governor Seyi Makinde tells VDM https://t.co/57P7bRJoOL pic.twitter.com/rJoF2QWhyS
— Oyo Affairs (@Oyoaffairs) June 16, 2026
