The Oyo State Government has denied a social media report that it has paid ransom to kidnappers to secure the release of schools and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.
Debunking the report on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described it as a total falsehood and misleading.
The state government further described the report as “far from the truth” and a deliberate attempt by “irresponsible bloggers” to create confusion and misinform the public.
No ransom paid to kidnappers
Oyelade explained that both the state and Federal Governments have been making concerted efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted children and their teachers.
He, however, declared that no ransom has been paid to the abductors of the school pupils and their teachers, “either directly or indirectly.”
He urged members of the public to disregard the reports and rely only on information released through official government channels.
The commissioner also maintained that the Oyo State Government was working closely with security agencies to ensure safe release of the abductees and bring an end to the sad occurrence.
