Peter Obi, the NDC presidential aspirant, has launched an astonishing attack on President Bola Tinubu—not for failing to rescue the abducted Oyo schoolchildren, but for not personally marching into the forest to do it himself.
Speaking on Afia TV’s State of the Nation on July 30, Obi claimed he would have entered the Oriire forest within two days of the May 15 abduction and ensured everyone was freed, even if it meant casualties.
“Everybody in that bush will come out. There might be casualties, but everybody will come out,” Obi declared. He also criticised Tinubu for not contacting Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde during the 56-day ordeal.
But here’s what Obi conveniently ignores: President Tinubu delivered.
On July 10, security forces rescued all 44 pupils and teachers alive. The President achieved this without paying a single kobo in ransom—rejecting both the kidnappers’ cash demands and their request for detained gang members’ release.
Tinubu’s strategy was methodical and effective: security agencies tracked the kidnappers’ families and communities while leveraging intelligence on the forest terrain. “We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest. We know what it is,” Tinubu stated.
The President has also announced the expansion of military divisions from eight to 12 to shorten response times against terrorism. Traditional rulers, including the Olubadan of Ibadanland, have commended Tinubu’s successful rescue operation.
While Obi dreams of jungle heroics from a TV studio, Tinubu delivered real results—bringing Nigeria’s children home safely through strategic leadership, not reckless grandstanding.
