Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Presidency has launched a blistering counter-attack against Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his call for a United Nations-led investigation into the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the state, describing the demand as unnecessary, politically motivated, and a sign of "bizarre politics" driven by the governor's presidential ambition. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, 13 July 2026, dismissed Makinde's request as "unwarranted" and "absolutely unnecessary," insisting that Nigeria's security institutions had already provided sufficient explanations on the rescue operation.
Onanuga accused Makinde, who has declared interest in the 2027 presidential race, of attempting to weaponise the abduction controversy against the Federal Government. He said it is just unfortunate that 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. He further alleged that the governor was playing politics, and it is the politics of the bizarre, and that he wants to weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory.
In a separate interview with THE WHISTLER, Onanuga went further, describing Makinde's claims as a "crazy theory" and suggesting that only someone with a "very dark mind" would read conspiracy into the incident. He questioned what any government or anybody would profit from subjecting the children and teachers to such trauma for days, adding that it would only take a very bad mind to be thinking the way Makinde is thinking. He added that the rescue operation came at a heavy cost, with security personnel, including soldiers and Amotekun operatives, losing their lives, and that generally all over the country there is a huge relief that those kids and the teachers are out.
The clash follows Makinde's statewide broadcast on Monday, 13 July 2026, during which he formally assumed responsibility for the welfare, rehabilitation, and education of the 45 pupils and teachers rescued after spending 56 days in captivity. The governor had called on the United Nations and other international human rights and accountability mechanisms to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction, describing the incident as sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond Nigeria's domestic institutions. He insisted that the move was not intended to undermine Nigeria's institutions but to reinforce public confidence that the truth would be established and that every person found responsible, regardless of office or affiliation, would be held accountable.
The abduction occurred on 15 May 2026, when armed bandits attacked three schools in Yawota and Ahoro-Esinle communities in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 39 pupils and six teachers. The victims were rescued on 10 July 2026 following 56 days of sustained military and intelligence operations involving the Nigerian Army, police, Department of State Services, Amotekun Corps, and local vigilantes. The tragedy claimed the lives of two teachers, including a mathematics teacher who was beheaded in captivity, and several security personnel, including soldiers and Amotekun operatives.
While the Presidency insisted that it had nothing to hide and would not oppose any independent review if Makinde believed unresolved issues remained, Onanuga maintained that the governor's demand was a vote of no confidence in Nigeria's security institutions. He said the government's doors are open and that the UN should come if Makinde thinks there is more to it than what the military has explained. The controversy has generated mixed political reactions, with some opposition parties supporting an independent investigation while others, including the Labour Party, have opposed it.
Makinde, for his part, has stood by his demand, stressing that the reunion of the children and teachers with their families does not mark the end of this painful chapter, but marks the beginning of another responsibility: the collective responsibility to establish the truth.
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