Makinde Invites UN to Investigate Oyo Pupils’ Abduction

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called on the United Nations (UN) and international human rights organisations to investigate the abduction of pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area, describing the circumstances surrounding the incident as serious enough to require an independent probe.

Makinde made the call on Monday during a broadcast.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the call comes after the governor received the rescued pupils and their teachers at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan, following their handover by the Nigerian military.

“The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny,” the governor said.

The victims had spent two days under military care for medical treatment and routine profiling.

This publication earlier reported that Makinde said on Saturday that the rescued pupils and teachers would remain in military custody for 48 hours before being reunited with their families.

Speaking during a visit to the 2 Division Medical Centre at the Odogbo Barracks in Ibadan, where the victims received treatment, the governor explained that some of them needed urgent medical attention.

“I’m extremely happy that the children and their teachers are back. We will monitor them over the next 48 hours. Some of them are still very frail and need medical intervention, and that will be addressed,” he said.

Makinde also revealed that the military would carry out a final assessment before handing the victims over to the state government, while family members would be allowed to visit them.

Days earlier, during a meeting with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, Makinde alleged that the abduction occurred just hours after he declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election under the Action People’s Movement (APM).

The pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15 after heavily armed gunmen attacked three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area. The attackers kidnapped 39 pupils and six teachers. One teacher was killed during the attack, while another died during the victims’ 56 days in captivity.