Governor Seyi Makinde on Saturday visited the military hospital at the 2 Division Nigerian Army, Odogbo Barracks, Ibadan, where rescued pupils and teachers of the Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota communities are currently receiving medical attention.
Videos obtained by Peoples Gazette showed the governor walking through the hospital wards, greeting the patients and offering prayers for the rescued victims.
Speaking to journalists after the visit, Mr Makinde said some of the victims appear weak and would need medical care and psychosocial support to address post-traumatic issues.
“Some of them are still very frail,” he said. “They will need medical intervention and post-traumatic issues to be addressed. But we already have a team in place to do that.”
“We will watch them over the next 48 hours, so by Monday, we think an assessment will be done. Then, there may be a formal transfer from the military to the state, and we can manage the process from that point forward. We are also putting logistics together to bring their family members to see them.
“There is a small girl in there who has been asking, ‘Where’s my mummy? Where’s my mummy?’ We want to make it possible for her mother to come and reunite with her,” he added.
The governor noted that the current development called for unity rather than division, stressing that it was a time for people to come together and confront the challenges facing the country.
He promised to properly brief residents of the state and Nigerians at large on what transpired, leading to the eventual rescue of the victims.
Mr Makinde stated, “It is not the best time for us to sow seeds of division. It is the best time for us to come together and confront our challenges. So, at this moment, I want to say to the people.”
The governor also thanked security operatives for their efforts while encouraging families of officers who lost their lives during the operation that their loved ones did not die in vain.
Meanwhile, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye (Orumogege III), who also visited the rescued victims on Saturday, said they disclosed that the male teachers were kept chained and blindfolded throughout their captivity.
“Listening to their testimonies was deeply emotional. Their account of life in the bush revealed the unimaginable hardship they endured.
“Particularly heartbreaking were the revelations that the male teachers were kept chained and blindfolded throughout their captivity and the gruesome killing of one of the teachers,” Mr Olaoye said in a Facebook post shortly after his visit.
The monarch described the safe return of the victims as a powerful reminder that God answers prayers, adding that what many feared would end in tragedy became a testimony to God’s mercy and faithfulness.
“As we celebrate this answered prayer, let us continue to remember those who remain in captivity across our nation and pray earnestly for their safe return,” Mr Olaoye said.
He thanked the federal and state governments, security agencies, and everyone who played a role in rescuing the victims.
Other personalities who accompanied the monarch on the visit included Oba Thompson Adeyeye Oyetunji, the Alaajawa of Ajaawa; Oba Bolarinwa Ezekiel Olajide, the Onisapa of Isapa; and Fatai Buhari, the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District.
