Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has lauded President Bola Tinubu, the Security agencies and Ekitikete at home and abroad for their support which led to the timely release of the kidnapped pupils and staff of Apostolic Faith School, Emure Ekiti.

Governor Oyebanji, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode,congratulated the children and their families and thanked President Tinubu “for giving specific directives that put the search and rescue mission on top gear”

Oyebode stated that in view of the children’s traumatic experience while in the kidnappers’ custody , Governor Oyebanji had directed the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, to take the children to the State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti for proper medical treatment and post-trauma therapy.

According to the Governor’s spokesman, “The governor, who kept vigil with Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele till 3.00 am to ensure the release of the children, acknowledges the solidarity shown by his colleagues governors, former governors of the state as well as religious leaders and traditional rulers.
He also thanked members of the Ekiti State Caucus in the National Assembly and members of the state House of Assembly for their support, stating ‘And more importantly, we thank God for everything’”.

The children and their teachers, who were kidnapped on Monday, were released in the wee hours on Sunday, February 4th, and brought to the Elemure of Emure’s Palace around 4am

However, the driver of the school bus was not so lucky as he was reportedly killed in the custody of the kidnappers.

The Governor, however, restated his administration’s determination to stamp out crime and criminality from the state by making the environment unbearable for criminals operating under whatever guise.

The Ekiti State helmsman who reiterated that the killers of the two Ekiti obas would be fished out and made to face the maximum weight of the law, urged people of the state to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their communities to the authorities.