The Oyo State Government has counseled journalists operating in the state to be discreet in reporting sensitive issue of insecurity in the state.
It gave the advice against the backdrop of the ongoing efforts to rescue the school pupils and teachers who were abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
Insecurity, Journalists and Discreet Reporting
The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, stated in a release on Thursday that revealing the details of the conversations with the kidnappers, through the media, may lead to fatalities.
Appealing to journalists to be discreet in their reportage of the unfortunate incident, the state government declared that the safety of the abducted school pupils and their teachers was of prime importance.
“To us, the safety of our children and teachers is paramount. As you are well aware, disclosure of details of conversations with the kidnappers if not handled discreetly may lead to fatalities.
“As much as it is the right of journalists to know and inform the public accordingly, the current situation is not an everyday challenge and the wrong statement may achieve the very opposite of our objective.
“Until the right time which will be soon enough, the Oyo State Government prefers to stay on the side of caution and do everything possible to preserve the lives of our citizens and discourage kidnapping and bandits on our soil,” Oyelade stated in the release.
Meanwhile, the state government, earlier on Thursday morning, issued a short message to debunk a viral video about the release of the abducted school pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
Describing the video report as untrue, the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, stated that the abductees were still in captivity.
He, however, assured that state government was unrelenting in its determination to rescue the school pupils and their teachers from the kidnappers.
“The viral video about the release of those abducted at Oriire in Oyo State is unfortunately untrue.
“The state government continues its discreet interventions which we are very hopeful will yield the desired result soon. We thank all for their patience,” he stated.
In a related development, the Oyo State Government has released to the public two phone numbers with which residents of the state can contact the Control Room of the Nigeria Police, in case of emergencies.
Prince Oyelade, in another short release, advised the people of the state to contact the Police through 08081768614 or 07055495413 for crime reporting, security threats and other emergencies.
“Residents can also dial 615, the Oyo State Government’s toll-free emergency response line, for prompt assistance.
“These numbers are available for reporting crimes, security threats, accidents, and other emergencies requiring immediate attention,” he added.
