A fierce political battle has erupted between the Oyo State Government and the Presidency following the rescue of 44 pupils and teachers who spent 56 days in the custody of armed bandits.
The friction ignited after Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde formally assumed responsibility for the rehabilitation of the survivors on Monday, July 13, 2026.
During the ceremony, Governor Makinde called for an independent, United Nations-backed investigation into the circumstances of the mass abduction.
The Presidency swiftly and sharply rebuked the Governor, accusing him of undermining Nigeria’s security agencies and weaponising a national tragedy to advance his personal 2027 presidential ambitions.
The governor’s call: Why Makinde demanded international scrutiny
Speaking at the Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan shortly after the Federal Government handed over the rescued victims, Governor Makinde argued that the security breach was too severe to be swept under the rug of routine domestic reviews.
On May 15, 2026, heavily armed bandits raided three schools across Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele communities in Oriire Local Government Area, carting away 39 children and six teachers.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institutions,” Governor Makinde declared in a video address.
“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.”
The Governor emphasised that his demand was not a vote of no confidence in local forces but a pursuit of absolute transparency.
He reminded the public that under the 1999 Constitution, national security remains the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government.
“This is not about politics,” Makinde insisted. “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.”
Presidency knocks Makinde for playing “Politics of the Bizarre”
The Federal Government wasted no time in pushing back. Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Punch, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described Governor Makinde’s request as “unwarranted” and “absolutely unnecessary.”
Onanuga accused the Governor of harbouring a political agenda, pointing to Makinde’s status as a top contender for the presidency in the next general elections.
“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,” Onanuga said. “The man is just playing politics, and it is the politics of the bizarre. He wants to weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory.”
The high cost of the rescue mission
Onanuga rejected any insinuation of administrative negligence or collusion, pointing out that several Nigerian security personnel—including soldiers and Oyo State Amotekun operatives—lost their lives in the dense forests while trying to free the hostages.
“The rescue operation came at a cost,” the presidential spokesman stressed. “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? It is unthinkable that anyone would deliberately conspire to expose the victims to such an ordeal.”
Though dismissing the necessity of the request, Onanuga added that the federal administration has nothing to hide: “Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained.”
Opposition parties align with Oyo Governor
As the war of words between Ibadan and Abuja intensifies, four major opposition parties—the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), All Midlands Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Young Progressives Party (YPP)—have formally backed Governor Makinde’s stance.
The parties released a joint statement arguing that seeking external, neutral arbiters is a natural consequence of a domestic security architecture that has repeatedly failed to protect its citizens.
