The controversy surrounding Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for a United Nations-backed investigation into the abduction and rescue of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area has sharply divided political leaders, lawyers, civil society organisations and human rights advocates over the appropriate response to the incident.
While the Federal Government, the Senate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and senior lawyers insist that Nigeria possesses the constitutional and institutional capacity to investigate the incident without foreign intervention, the Oyo State House of Assembly, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and several civil society advocates argued that an independent international inquiry would strengthen public confidence, improve accountability and expose possible security lapses.
Makinde had, on Monday, called on the United Nations and relevant international human rights bodies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the May 15 abduction of school children and teachers in Oriire LGA, describing the incident as sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny.
According to the governor, the request was not intended to undermine Nigerian institutions but to establish the truth, ensure accountability and restore public confidence that every Nigerian child can attend school without fear.
The Presidency, however, dismissed the proposal as unnecessary and politically motivated, with the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, maintaining that the military had already explained the circumstances surrounding the rescue operation.
The Senate also distanced itself from the governor’s position, commending the Armed Forces and other security agencies for rescuing the victims after nearly two months in captivity and warning against politicising a successful military operation.
