Oriire: We didn’t pay ransom to terrorists, Oyo govt faults VDM’s claim

The Oyo State government has faulted a video by social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan or VDM, claiming that the state government has paid ransom to secure the release of 46 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire local government area of the state.

Tribune Online reports that bandits, on the 15th of May, attacked schools in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities leading to the killing of a teacher and a motorcycle rider as well as abduction of 39 pupils and seven teachers.

VDM, in the video circulating on social media, claimed that while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved on despite the pupils still held captives by the terrorists, the state government paid ransom, but the kidnappers still refused to release the victims. 

““All right, so yesterday I got information that the Oyo State government paid ransom money for the release of the children and teachers that were kidnapped on the 15th of May, 2026 at Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State. So it is said that the government paid ransom for the release of those children, but the kidnappers collected the money and have still refused to release those children. 

“Today will make it 49 days in captivity, 49 days with those little children and their teachers in captivity. Tomorrow will make it 50 days with them there. And as of today, you can see all over the internet, nobody is really talking about the children anymore. Nigerians have moved on like they always do.

“Everybody has moved on from that topic. They are now talking about other trending issues. So everybody has moved on, right? We don’t know how the children are faring.

“We don’t even know if the children are still alive. We don’t even know if they are still in Oyo State or if they have been moved to another country. We don’t know what is the current status of the children,” VDM partly said in the video.

However, the state government, in a tweet response quoting the viral video by VDM, refuted the claim, stating that it has only been collaborating with security agencies to ensure the victims are safely returned to their families, and never paid ransom to terrorists.

“This is false. The Oyo State Government did not at any time pay ransom for the release of the children and teachers abducted in Oriire LGA. The government has been collaborating with security agencies to ensure they are safely returned to their families,” the statement said.