Oyo State Government has reacted to the sentencing of the three men convicted over their involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
The state said the life imprisonment imposed on the convicts was inadequate and did not reflect the severity of the crime. However, it said it would respect the judgment of the Federal High Court and would not appeal the sentence despite its reservations.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, made the position of the Oyo state government known during an interview with journalists in Ibadan.
Oyelade described the sentence as “cold comfort,“ arguing that it failed to match the magnitude of the offence and the trauma inflicted on the victims, their families and the state.
“The ruling is a cold comfort. We expected capital punishment for the convicts, as that would better reflect the gravity of abducting innocent schoolchildren and teachers,” he said.
The commissioner maintained that those who concealed information about the kidnappers were equally culpable as those who carried out the abduction.
“It is myopic for anyone to try to create a wedge between the crime of concealment committed by these people and those who actually perpetrated the crime. They are one and the same,” he added.
Despite expressing dissatisfaction with the sentence, Oyelade said the Oyo State Government had no intention of challenging the court’s decision.
“The government will not be appealing the judgment. While we have our reservations, we respect what the law has said,” he stated.
He nevertheless praised the Federal High Court for the speedy trial and conclusion of the case, describing the development as a positive signal for Nigeria’s justice system and proof that justice could be dispensed without unnecessary delays.