Oyo rejects ransom claims by VDM, says no payment made to kidnappers

By Adeola Badru

Oyo State Government has refuted allegations made by social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), that it paid ransom to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the claim as false, misleading and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the government insisted that the allegation was “far from the truth”, accusing “irresponsible bloggers” of deliberately spreading falsehoods to create confusion and mislead members of the public.

Prince Oyelade stated that while both the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government have been working relentlessly to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and their teachers, no ransom has been paid to the kidnappers, either directly or indirectly.

He stressed that the ongoing rescue efforts are being pursued through legitimate security channels, urging the public to disregard the reports circulating on social media and other platforms.