Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s media adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, has urged the Department of State Services and other security agencies to invite Yoruba nation campaigner Sunday Igboho to formally present the identities of politicians he alleged are backing kidnappers behind recent abductions of students and teachers in Oyo State.
Ibe made the appeal on Thursday in a post on X, insisting that security agencies should explore any credible intelligence that could help secure the release of victims and dismantle criminal networks operating in affected areas.
His reaction came after Igboho, during a meeting with members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, claimed he was aware of politicians allegedly sponsoring kidnappers operating in parts of the South-West.
The controversy follows the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, an incident that has heightened anxiety over the expansion of kidnapping activities into communities previously regarded as relatively secure compared to other violence-prone regions.
Responding to Igboho’s comments, Ibe argued that security agencies should promptly engage him if he truly possesses actionable information that could aid ongoing investigations.
“Since Sunday Ighoho claims to know those behind the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, I think that the State Security Service and other security agencies knew to invite him to release those names to them.
“Every option should be on the table to fast-track the safe release of the school children and teachers.”
Ibe also expanded his remarks to broader insecurity concerns across the country, questioning what he described as the Federal Government’s subdued reaction to the reported abduction of over 50 schoolchildren in Mussa, Borno State, on May 15.
Drawing comparisons between the official response to incidents in Oyo and Borno states, he asked, “By the way, who knows those behind the abduction of over 50 school children in Mussa, Borno State on May 15, 2026?
“Why is Tinubu and his government mute over the Borno abduction? Are those school children not Nigerians? When will the Commander-in-Chief and Consoler-in-Chief send a delegation to Mussa like it did in the case of Oriire?
“When will Borno and other vulnerable states get their own forest guards? Why wait for a tragedy to occur before the Tinubu government takes action to stem insecurity in our country?”
Igboho, for his part, had insisted that the kidnappers were not supernatural beings and could be dislodged if decisive action was taken against them.
“If I am permitted to burst into the hideouts, they will flee. They are neither gnomes nor mannequins; they are humans, so they can be dislodged.
“I know the politicians behind them, and if they do not stop perpetrating their evil acts, I will mention them all. I know them. The politicians behind them are the ones giving them ammunition and money,” he said.
The exchange has once again reignited public debate over school security and the persistent wave of abductions affecting different parts of the country.
Nigeria has, over the past decade, experienced repeated mass kidnappings targeting schoolchildren, particularly in northern regions, prompting sustained calls for improved intelligence gathering, stronger community policing, and better protection for vulnerable communities.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not issued any public response to either Igboho’s allegations or Ibe’s call.
However, the remarks are expected to increase pressure on authorities to investigate claims of political sponsorship of kidnapping networks and intensify efforts to secure the release of victims still in captivity.
The situation also highlights growing concerns about the intersection of politics, organised crime, and insecurity in Nigeria, an issue that continues to dominate national discourse amid ongoing challenges of kidnapping, banditry, and other violent crimes across multiple regions.
