The Presidency has sharply criticized Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde following his demand for a United Nations-led investigation into the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the state, describing the request as an unnecessary and unwarranted attempt to “weaponize” a tragedy for political gains.
The war of words erupted on Monday shortly after the Oyo State Government formally received the 44 pupils and teachers who were rescued after spending 56 grueling days in captivity. The victims had been abducted on May 15, 2026, by armed bandits who invaded three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
While receiving the survivors, Governor Makinde delivered a statewide broadcast in which he asserted that the circumstances surrounding the abduction were “sufficiently grave and unusual” to warrant an independent, external review beyond Nigeria’s domestic security institutions.
“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,” Makinde stated. He explicitly called on international human rights mechanisms, including those within the United Nations system, to scrutinize the 56-day hostage crisis.
The governor’s demand immediately drew the ire of Abuja. Reacting to the broadcast, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the governor’s request, stating it demonstrated a fundamental lack of confidence in Nigeria’s military and security agencies.
Onanuga argued that it was “unthinkable” to suggest negligence or institutional collusion, pointing out that the rescue operation came at a heavy cost, with several security personnel—including Nigerian soldiers and Oyo State Amotekun operatives—losing their lives in the line of duty.
“Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained,” Onanuga remarked in an interview, while simultaneously accusing Makinde—widely rumored to harbor 2027 presidential ambitions—of playing politics with national security.
“The Governor has just expressed his opinion… but why must anyone try to weaponize such a painful ordeal?” Onanuga questioned, defending the integrity of the joint security forces that executed the rescue mission.
Despite the Presidency’s fierce pushback, Governor Makinde maintained that his call for international accountability was not designed to undermine local institutions but to establish concrete facts, deliver justice for the victims, and ensure that no school in Oyo State is ever subjected to such terror again.
Ayodele Quadri
Correspondent
