Gov. Makinde Seeks UN Investigation Of Oyo School Abduction, As Presidency Slams Makinde Over Demand For UN Probe

Governor Makinde has sought the UN’s investigation of the Oyo school abduction.

NewsRain Nigeria reports that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called on the United Nations and other international human rights and accountability bodies to examine the circumstances surrounding the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.

Mr Makinde said the incident raises questions that require independent scrutiny beyond Nigeria’s domestic institutions.

He made the call on Monday in a statewide broadcast hours after the Nigerian military formally handed over the rescued pupils and teachers to the state government following their release after spending 56 days in captivity.

Mr Makinde said while the victims had regained their freedom, the circumstances surrounding the incident were “sufficiently grave and unusual” to warrant an independent review.

READ ALSO: Rescued Oyo School Principal Reveals Why Kidnappers Killed 2 Teachers

“The reunion of these children and teachers with their families does not mark the end of this painful chapter. It marks the beginning of another responsibility, and our collective responsibility to establish the truth,” Mr Makinde said.

He, however, called on the “international human rights and accountability mechanisms, including those within the United Nations system,” to closely examine the facts surrounding the abduction and the circumstances of its resolution.

According to the governor, such international scrutiny would strengthen, rather than undermine, public confidence in Nigeria’s institutions.

“Such scrutiny is not intended to undermine our institutions. Rather, it is intended to reinforce public confidence that the truth will be established and that every person found to bear responsibility, regardless of office, influence or affiliation, will be held accountable under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Nigeria deserves transparent account on victims’ 56-day hostage crisis

Mr Makinde noted that while responsibility for national security rests with the federal government and security agencies under its control, Nigerians deserve a transparent account of what transpired during the 56-day hostage crisis.

“The Nigerian people deserve a full and transparent account of what happened, who was responsible, whether there were institutional failures, negligence or collusion at any level, and what measures must now be taken to ensure that no community is ever subjected to such an ordeal again,” he said.

He insisted that the demand was “not about politics” but about justice for the victims and the restoration of public confidence in the country’s security architecture.

“This is not about politics; it is about justice for the victims, reassurance for our people, and restoring public confidence that every Nigerian child can go to school without fear,” the governor said.

The governor also announced plans to strengthen security around communities bordering the Old Oyo National Park, which investigators believe served as a hideout for the kidnappers.

Although national parks fall under federal control, he said Oyo would immediately tighten oversight of access routes into and out of the park, strengthen intelligence gathering, improve collaboration with local communities and security agencies, and introduce measures to make it more difficult for criminal groups to exploit border communities.

Detailed implementation guidelines, he added, would be announced later

In an update, the Presidency on Monday criticised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his call for a United Nations-led investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers in the state, describing the demand as unnecessary and politically motivated.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the governor’s request suggested a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions, insisting that the military and other security agencies had already provided explanations on the rescue operation.

Onanuga, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, said the Presidency had no objection to an international body examining the incident if Makinde believed there were unresolved issues.

“The Governor has just expressed his opinion that the UN should probe this incident. Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained,” he said.

He, however, questioned the basis for the governor’s demand, arguing that security agencies had no reason to deliberately subject Nigerians, especially children, to prolonged captivity.

According to him, the rescue operation came at a cost, with some security personnel, including members of the military and Amotekun, losing their lives while pursuing the abductors.

Onanuga said it was “unthinkable” that anyone would deliberately conspire to expose the victims to the 56-day ordeal, including the killing of a mathematics teacher during captivity.

“Look at those kids. Some of them are just about four or six years old. Will anyone want to deliberately subject them to the trauma they went through for 56 days?” he asked.

The presidential spokesman accused Makinde, who is a presidential aspirant, of allowing political considerations to influence his call for an international probe.

“It is just unfortunate that Mr Makinde, maybe because of politics, because he is a presidential candidate now, doesn’t have any trust in our own institutions and is now calling on an external body to come and investigate,” he said.

Onanuga added that the military and the Department of State Services had already disclosed what they knew about the incident, describing the governor’s demand as “unwarranted” and “absolutely unnecessary.”

He accused Makinde of attempting to politicise the matter, saying, “The man is just playing politics, and it is the politics of the bizarre. He wants to weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory.”

Recall that the 39 schoolchildren and teachers were abducted on 15 May after gunmen invaded Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area.

Their abduction triggered outrage and an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State. Protests by teachers demanded improved security, and widespread public concern over rising insecurity around schools.

The victims were rescued on 10 July after an intensive joint operation involving the military, police, intelligence agencies, Amotekun Corps, hunters and local vigilantes, before being formally handed over to the Oyo State Government on Monday.