Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday called on the United Nations and other international human rights and accountability bodies to investigate the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
He said the circumstances surrounding the incident were too serious to be left to domestic institutions alone.
The governor made the appeal shortly after the rescued pupils and teachers were formally handed over to the Oyo State Government by the Federal Government at the State Secretariat in Ibadan, following their release after 56 days in captivity.
Speaking in a video released after the handover, Makinde said an independent international examination of the incident was necessary to establish the full facts surrounding both the abduction and the rescue operation.
According to him, the gravity and unusual nature of the incident justified scrutiny by international mechanisms responsible for promoting accountability and protecting human rights.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institutions,” the governor said.
“I therefore, with a full sense of responsibility as the Executive Governor of Oyo State, call on the appropriate international human rights and accountability mechanisms, including those within the United Nations system, to closely examine the facts surrounding this abduction and the circumstances of its resolution.”
Makinde stressed that his request should not be interpreted as an attempt to undermine Nigerian institutions or security agencies, but rather as a move to strengthen public confidence in the country’s justice and accountability processes.
He said an independent review would help reassure Nigerians that every individual found culpable, irrespective of position or influence, would be held accountable.
“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,” he stated.
The governor also reminded the Federal Government that responsibility for national security rests primarily with it under the Constitution, noting that the school abduction underscored the need for greater accountability in the country’s security architecture.
“Under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the primary responsibility for national security rests with the Federal Government and the security agencies under its command,” Makinde said.
He maintained that Nigerians deserved a comprehensive explanation of how the abduction occurred, the events that followed, and the circumstances that eventually led to the victims’ rescue.
According to him, the public has a right to know whether there were institutional failures, negligence or collusion at any stage of the incident, as well as the measures that would be implemented to prevent a recurrence.
“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 added.
Makinde dismissed suggestions that his call for international intervention was politically motivated, insisting that his priority was justice for the victims and restoring public confidence in the safety of schools across the country.
“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,” he said.
The rescued pupils and teachers arrived at the Oyo State Secretariat on Monday after being transferred from the Military Hospital in Ibadan, where they had been receiving medical treatment and psychosocial care since security agencies secured their freedom.
The victims were abducted by armed men on May 15, 2026, during coordinated attacks on schools in Ahoro-Essiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Their abduction sparked nationwide concern, with the Nigeria Union of Teachers, civil society groups and parents mounting sustained pressure on the Federal Government and security agencies to ensure their safe rescue.
The Federal Government announced the successful rescue of all the victims on Friday, bringing to an end more than seven weeks of captivity and one of the state’s most closely followed school abduction cases.
