By Mary Onyia
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has called for a transparent and independent investigation into the abduction and subsequent rescue of pupils and teachers kidnapped from schools in Oriire Local Government Area, saying the exercise is necessary to uncover any security lapses that made the incident possible and prevent a recurrence.
Speaking after the victims regained their freedom, the governor said the successful rescue should not mark the end of the matter. Rather, he said, there must be a comprehensive account of how the abduction occurred, what transpired during the victims’ captivity, and whether negligence, systemic failures or collusion contributed to the incident.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institutions,” Makinde said.
He urged international human rights and accountability bodies, including relevant United Nations agencies, to examine both the abduction and the rescue operation. According to him, such an inquiry would not undermine Nigeria’s institutions but would strengthen public confidence by establishing the facts and ensuring that anyone found culpable is held accountable, regardless of status.
Makinde noted that under the Nigerian Constitution, responsibility for national security rests with the Federal Government and its security agencies. He said Nigerians deserve to know whether the incident resulted from negligence, institutional weaknesses or complicity, and what corrective measures are required to forestall similar attacks.
“This is not about politics,” he said. “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 incident had once again exposed the limitations of Nigeria’s centralised policing system. He reiterated his long-standing advocacy for state police, arguing that governors, despite being designated as chief security officers of their states, lack operational control over the police and other federal security agencies deployed within their jurisdictions.
According to Makinde, state police would enhance intelligence gathering, improve response times and make law enforcement more accountable to local communities. Given the varying security challenges across the country, he argued that decentralised policing, within constitutional safeguards, would enable states to respond more effectively to emerging threats.
While welcoming the safe return of the pupils and teachers as a source of relief to their families and communities, the governor maintained that accountability is as important as the rescue itself. He stressed that only a thorough, transparent investigation would deliver justice to the victims, strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and reassure parents that schools remain safe for learning.