Presidency Fires Back at Makinde, Rejects Call for UN Probe into Oyo School Abduction

 

The Presidency has dismissed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for a United Nations-led investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the proposal as unnecessary and politically motivated.

Reacting to the governor’s remarks, the Presidency maintained that Nigerian security agencies had already demonstrated professionalism in securing the victims’ release and argued that there was no justification for inviting international bodies to investigate the incident.

The response follows Makinde’s recent appeal for an independent international inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and eventual release of the victims. The governor had argued that the incident raised serious questions that deserved transparent scrutiny to restore public confidence.

However, the Presidency disagreed with that position, insisting that the successful rescue operation reflected the commitment and capability of the country’s security institutions.

According to the Presidency, attempts to involve the United Nations in the matter could undermine the efforts of local security agencies and create the impression that Nigeria lacks the capacity to investigate its own security challenges.

The latest exchange has added a political dimension to the conversation surrounding the Oriire school abduction, with both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government maintaining different positions on how the incident should be reviewed.

The abduction, which kept pupils and teachers in captivity for several weeks, ended after security agencies announced that the victims had been rescued during a coordinated operation involving the military, the Department of State Services (DSS), the police and other security agencies.

While the Federal Government has praised the operation as a major success, Makinde continues to insist that a thorough and independent investigation is necessary to establish exactly what happened and prevent similar incidents in the future.