Presidency Faults Makinde Over Call For UN Probe Into Oyo School Abduction
The Presidency has criticised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his call for a United Nations-led investigationinto the abduction of pupils and teachers in the state, describing the request as unnecessary and politically motivated.
The criticism followed Makinde’s appeal for an independent international probe while receiving the rescued victims, who spent 56 days in captivity after being abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026. The governor had argued that Nigerians deserved a full account of the circumstances surrounding both the abduction and the rescue operation.
Reacting to the governor’s position, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said there was no basis for an international investigation, insisting that Nigeria’s security agencies had already explained how the victims were rescued.
Onanuga stated that the Federal Government had nothing to hide and would not oppose any international scrutiny if Makinde insisted, but questioned why the governor appeared to have lost confidence in the country’s security institutions.
According to him, the military, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies had worked tirelessly to secure the release of the victims, adding that some security personnel, including soldiers and members of the Amotekun Corps, lost their lives during the rescue operation.
He dismissed suggestions that the victims were deliberately left in captivity, describing such claims as illogical.
Onanuga argued that no responsible government would intentionally allow children, some as young as four and six years old, to remain in the hands of kidnappers for nearly two months, stressing that the operation was carried out under difficult conditions to ensure the victims returned alive.
The presidential spokesman further accused Makinde of allowing politics to influence his position, noting that the governor’s demand for a UN investigation reflected a lack of trust in Nigerian institutions.
He maintained that the governor’s call was “unwarranted” and “absolutely unnecessary,” insisting that security agencies had already provided sufficient information on the circumstances surrounding the operation.
Makinde, however, maintained that his request was not politically motivated. He said an independent international review would strengthen public confidence by determining whether there were institutional failures, negligence or collusion that contributed to the 56-day captivity of the pupils and teachers.
The governor added that his administration had taken responsibility for the welfare, medical care, rehabilitation and continued education of the rescued victims while urging that lessons be learnt to prevent similar incidents in the future.