Fresh
OpenLife Nigeria reports that as refreshing joy still persists in Oyo State on account of the rescue of Oriire rescue, a twist has crept into the scenario with Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, calling on the United Nations (UN) and international human rights organisations to investigate the abduction of the schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
Speaking in a broadcast after receiving the rescued pupils and their teachers in his office in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Monday, Makinde said the “circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny.”
It would be recalled that though the rescue of the 44 pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State may have brought relief to their families, but it has done little to end the political controversy that trailed their 56-day captivity.
From allegations of sabotage and claims of political orchestration to questions over the relationship between Governor Seyi Makinde and President Bola Tinubu, the abduction became more than a security crisis.
It evolved into another flashpoint in the growing political contest ahead of the 2027 general election.
How It Happened
On May 15, terrorists believed to be members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru, attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; L.A. Primary School; and Community Grammar School, Esiele, all in Oriire Local Government Area.
The attackers killed the Assistant Headmaster of L.A. Primary School, Joel Adesiyan, while an unidentified commercial motorcyclist was also caught in the crossfire and killed. Although initial reports put the number of abductees at 39 pupils and seven teachers, including Community Grammar School Principal, Rachael Alamu, the Nigerian Army later confirmed that 44 pupils and teachers were taken away.
One of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly killed a day later by the terrorists to discourage pursuing security operatives.
The terrorists were also reported to have demanded the release of two Boko Haram commanders—Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri—in exchange for the captives. The Federal Government and the Oyo State Government, however, insisted they would not negotiate with terrorists, maintaining that the victims would be rescued through security operations.
But the victims regained freedom on Friday as announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on his verified X.
The development, described as a big relief by Makinde, brought joy not only to the families of the victims but across the country.
The joyful moment, however, assumed a political dimension.
Earlier in the day, Makinde, seemingly unaware of ongoing rescue operations, had, in faraway Bauchi, declared that the attack occurred barely hours after he announced his intention to seek the presidency in 2027.
“For seven years, we didn’t witness anything like this in Oyo State. I declared to run for the presidency of Nigeria at four o’clock, and by 9 a.m. the following day, the children were abducted,” the governor had told his Bauchi host, Governor Bala Mohammed, during a visit.
The time the news and video of Makinde’s address at the Bauchi Government House went viral on social media coincided with the formal announcement of the release of the victims by the Presidency.
Although Makinde did not directly accuse anyone of orchestrating the attack, his remarks fuelled political debate over whether the kidnapping was merely coincidental or part of a broader political agenda.
Earlier, the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, disclosed that Makinde told him President Tinubu had not contacted him more than 50 days after the abduction.
“But, to my utmost shock, I discovered that, contrary to my assumption that they had been in regular communication over the matter, Governor Seyi Makinde had not received a single call from President Bola Tinubu,” Obi wrote on his verified X handle after visiting the governor in Ibadan on July 5.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, had also accused Makinde of exploiting the incident to embarrass the President.
“I sometimes believe that this was orchestrated in a way—not saying totally—by the government of Oyo State to blackmail President Tinubu,” Fayose said during an interview on Channels Television on June 1.
Two days later, self-acclaimed Yoruba nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, claimed politicians were sponsoring the kidnappers.
“I know the politicians behind them… They are the ones giving them ammunition and money,” he said in a viral video, although he did not mention any names or provide evidence.
Questions over rescue operation
Beyond the political exchanges over the circumstances surrounding the abduction, another controversy emerged after the victims regained their freedom.
Sources said that the final phase of the rescue operation was coordinated by an intelligence agency, simply referred to as “the Service,” with the approval of President Tinubu.
According to the source, the governor was allegedly not briefed on the final operation before the victims were evacuated from the forest.
“The President was briefed on the operations and the next line of action on Thursday night.
Thereafter, the victims were rescued and taken to Ibadan. The governor was not aware of the operation and must have seen the victims on social media,” the source said.
PDP sees political undertones
The Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, however, insisted that developments before, during and after the abduction suggested there was more to the incident than a routine security breach.
The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Michael Ogunsina, argued that Oyo had not experienced an abduction of such magnitude since Makinde assumed office.
“In the last seven and a half years, we have never had any occurrence of such a troubling incident. No abduction of such magnitude ever occurred. So, there must be some level of backing, and maybe the powers-that-be are behind them,” he said.
Ogunsina also faulted comments made by Fayose and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying they reinforced Makinde’s suspicion that politics had crept into the tragedy.
“If you look at the reckless statement of Fayose, and that of Wike on the abduction, they point to the fact that there is more to this matter than meets the eye. These are people working for the President. It looks like some individuals are trying to spoil Makinde’s name and score cheap political points, using the people as collateral.”
He also questioned what he described as the omission of Makinde’s role in official communication after the rescue.
“If you take a closer look at the video released by Bayo Onanuga, the principal among the victims was given a script to read. She did not acknowledge Governor Makinde’s efforts even though everyone knows the efforts of the governor and Oyo security outfits such as Amotekun.
“I also read the statement by the Army, and nowhere was the governor’s name mentioned. Playing politics with this matter is not only silly, it is also preposterous.”
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