The Presidency has slammed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his call for a United Nations-led investigation into the a.bduction of pupils and teachers in the state, describing the demand as unnecessary and politically motivated
Makinde made the appeal on Monday while receiving the 45 rescued pupils and teachers after their 56-day captivity, arguing that Nigerians deserved a full account of the circumstances surrounding the a.bduction.
The victims were k!dnapped on May 15, 2026, when armed bandits a.ttacked three schools in Yawota and Ahoro Esienle communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 pupils and six teachers.
Reacting to the governor’s request, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the call reflected a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions, insisting that the military and other security agencies had already explained how the victims were rescued.
“Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained,” Onanuga said.
He questioned the basis for the proposed investigation, arguing that no security agency would deliberately allow innocent children and teachers to remain in captivity for nearly two months.
Onanuga noted that the rescue operation came at a heavy cost, with members of the military and the Amotekun Corps losing their lives while pursuing the abductors.
“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 said.
The presidential spokesman also accused Makinde, a presidential aspirant, of allowing politics 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 maintained that the military and the Department of State Services had already provided details of the operation, describing the governor’s request as “unwarranted” and “absolutely unnecessary.”
He further accused Makinde of politicising the incident, saying the governor was attempting to “weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory.”
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