The South-West Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has assured Nigerians that abducted schoolchildren and their teachers in Oyo State will soon regain their freedom.
Naijaonpoint reports that Fayoade gave the assurance on Monday during a working visit to the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja.
Speaking on the abduction, the DIG said security agencies and government authorities were working to secure the victims’ release.
“The update is that all agencies, including government, are working very hard. I can assure you that within the shortest possible time, the children and their teachers will be free,” he said.
On reports of ransom demands by the abductors, Fayoade said the police were focused on rescue operations.
“We don’t know anything about ransom because we don’t talk about ransom. All efforts are directed towards getting the abductees free from captivity,” he stated.
The DIG said his visit was aimed at strengthening supervision across police commands in the South-West and engaging officers on emerging security challenges.
“It is a working visit to strengthen supervision and engage our officers and men in discussions on effective ways to tackle the evolving security challenges facing the country,” he said.
Fayoade noted that manpower, welfare and logistics were discussed, adding that the recruitment of 40,000 police personnel had commenced.
“Another area of importance is the welfare of our men, which remains a top priority for the Inspector-General of Police,” he added.
The DIG said the police were investing in technology, data management and intelligence-led operations.
“The Inspector-General is passionate about technology. We are working to complete a data centre at the Force Headquarters that will allow security agencies to access information on individuals with criminal records.
“At the same time, we are working on the use of Artificial Intelligence for investigations and intelligence gathering,” he said.
He added, “Very soon, our officers will begin attending courses on the use of AI in investigations and intelligence gathering. We are becoming technology-driven and moving rapidly in that direction.”
Earlier, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, described Fayoade’s visit as a homecoming and praised his leadership.
“Your visit today is indeed a homecoming. It is a privilege to have our amiable DIG with us to share his wealth of experience, knowledge and guidance with officers and men of the command,” he said.
Fatai said the Lagos command now has 14 Area Commands, 117 divisions, 74 police posts and 25,096 personnel.
He disclosed that since he assumed office on March 26, 2026, the command had foiled 28 armed robbery incidents, arrested 71 robbery suspects and 133 cultism suspects, and recovered 60 firearms and 625 rounds of ammunition.
He added that 122 vehicles were impounded for driving against traffic, while 1,580 motorcycles were seized for various traffic offences.
The commissioner said the command’s achievements came at a cost, noting that seven personnel died in the line of duty while 300 others sustained injuries.
“It saddens me to inform the DIG that seven personnel lost their lives in the line of duty, while 300 others sustained various injuries,” he said.
Fatai reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining crime-fighting efforts and keeping Lagos safe.
