The Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, has asked whether the Federal Government should bomb locations suspected to be holding kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
He posed the question while responding on The Morayo Show on Wednesday, to concerns over the stalled rescue of the victims, more than 50 days after their abduction.
Gunmen had, on May 15, 2026, stormed three schools in Oriire, abducting over 39 pupils, some as young as two years old, alongside seven teachers.
One of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, who taught mathematics, was beheaded shortly after the attack, deepening fears over the safety of the remaining hostages amid negotiations that have yet to secure their release.
Asked whether the victims had been forgotten given the length of their captivity, Bwala said the government was aware of their condition and was prioritising a safe rescue over public pressure.
“We know they are alive and they are well. To bring them back, to get them out alive, is much more important than whatever anybody is saying in the news,” he said.
He said the use of lethal force carried the risk of endangering the captives further, adding that rescuing hostages alive remained the government’s primary objective in such situations.
“If you use lethal force, you may end up jeopardising the life of the people that are kidnapped.
“When you have a case of what we call hostage-taking, the number one responsibility of government is to rescue them, and rescue them alive.
“But if we hear that one person has been killed, then we’ll have to use the other measures available,” he said.
Pressed on the fact that a hostage had already been killed, Bwala turned the question back on the show, asking whether the government should resort to bombing suspected locations where the captives were being held.
“Should the government now forcefully begin bombing where we believe they are being held, because one person was beheaded and there is a possibility that the rest will be killed? Or tell me what you think we should do,” he said.
More than 50 days after the attack, many of the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire remain in captivity, with negotiations for their release yet to yield a breakthrough.
