Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that Oyo State won't become another Chibok, as he promised that the nursery school pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area over a month ago will be rescued safely.

Speaking at his Ikolaba private residence in Ibadan on Tuesday, Makinde addressed protesters led by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). The demonstrators had gathered to demand action over a series of kidnappings in the state.

"Let me make it very, very clear: Oyo State is not Chibok and we will not be Chibok," Makinde said. "We have lost men, even soldiers and officers, and I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed a few days ago."

The governor's emotional response came after more than a month of captivity for the victims. "If you ask me, can I sacrifice myself for those children to come out? I will do it. I have lived a good life, I'm almost 60 and it doesn't matter. Our children will never be in the same situation as Chibok children," he said.

Makinde acknowledged that a teacher had already been killed during the abduction. "We've lost a teacher already. If we can avoid losing more, we will avoid losing more, but if we get to the point that certain people have to be sacrificed, including myself, we will do it," he said.

The governor also expressed understanding for the protest. "I will tell the truth and nothing but the truth. If I am not in government, I will be you; I'll be protesting with you," he said. "To have a society where leaders are accountable and inclusive sometimes requires agitation, sometimes it requires protest."

"I do not have anything against what you are doing. To have a society where leaders are accountable and inclusive sometimes requires agitation, sometimes it requires protest, and sometimes it requires people getting up from their comfort zones to do something like this."

Makinde explained the constitutional limitations facing state governments on security. "As governor, I can call the Commissioner of Police and we can meet, but I cannot deploy him. If I say go to a particular place, he will need approval from the Inspector-General of Police. The same thing applies to the military," he said.

He pointed to the establishment of the Amotekun Corps as evidence of his administration's focus on security. "When I came in, security was one of the cardinal principles of this administration. That is why we set up Amotekun. Amotekun has not been armed adequately, but that is our reality," he said.

Makinde described the rescue operation as unprecedented because of the victims' age. "This is the first time anywhere in Nigeria that people have kidnapped nursery and primary school children. These are children that cannot even run or do anything for themselves. So the operation to rescue them is a special type of operation if we do not want to lose any of those children," he said.

He admitted that the government has had to negotiate with the kidnappers, a decision he called a necessary compromise. "It is not something that we normally do. If government starts negotiating with bandits, it means we are surrendering sovereignty to the bandits, but in this special situation, if we want those children alive, we have to bend backwards," he stated.

The governor reassured residents that no information suggests any of the victims have died. "I can tell you that there is no information that any of those children or their teachers have died," he said. He also pledged that once the children are freed, such an incident won't happen again in Oyo State.

"Nigeria does not deserve this. In an atmosphere of insecurity, hardly can you do anything. Schools have been shut, farmers have left their farms, and we are talking about food security," Makinde said.

The abduction has drawn national attention, with many drawing parallels to the 2014 Chibok kidnapping in Borno State where over 200 schoolgirls were taken by Boko Haram. Makinde's firm stance appears aimed at preventing a similar prolonged tragedy.