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 demand as unnecessary and politically motivated.
Speaking on Monday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Federal Government had no objection to an international investigation if the governor believed there were unresolved issues surrounding the incident.
According to Onanuga, security agencies had already provided an account of the rescue operation, stressing that no responsible government or security institution would deliberately allow schoolchildren to remain in captivity for 56 days.
He noted that the operation came at a significant cost, with some security personnel, including soldiers and operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, reportedly losing their lives during efforts to rescue the victims. He also said one of the abducted teachers was killed while in captivity.
Onanuga accused Makinde of allowing political considerations to influence his position, alleging that the governor was attempting to politicise the incident rather than acknowledge the sacrifices made by security operatives.
The presidential spokesman described the governor’s demand for a UN investigation as unnecessary, insisting that the Federal Government remained open to scrutiny but rejected what he called attempts to promote conspiracy theories surrounding the rescue.
Makinde had earlier made the call while receiving the 45 rescued pupils and teachers formally handed over to the Oyo State Government by the Federal Government after spending 56 days in captivity.
The governor said the circumstances surrounding both the abduction and the rescue warranted independent international scrutiny to establish the facts and strengthen public confidence.
According to him, the request was not intended to undermine Nigerian institutions but to promote transparency, accountability and justice for the victims. He argued that a thorough investigation would help determine whether there were institutional failures, negligence or collusion, while also identifying measures to prevent similar attacks on schools in the future.
Makinde maintained that the call was driven by the need to reassure Nigerians that every child can attend school without fear and not by political considerations
