By Kingston Magare 14.7.2026
President Bola Tinubu’s government has questioned Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde’s motives for raising doubts on the integrity of the rescue mission carried out by security forces to free Oyo Students kidnapped by gunmen in May.
Mr. Makinde while receiving the 44 students and teachers demanded for a United Nations led probe into circumstances surrounding the abduction and the rescue of the students. Makinde maintained that this was necessary for Nigerians to know who was behind the crime, and they accordingly be held accountable.
“This is not about politics. 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,” Makinde stated.
But according to President Tinubu’s adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga such a probe is unnecessary.
“The governor has just expressed his opinion that the UN should probe this incident. Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained,” Onanuga told the Punch.
“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?”
He also noted that one of the abducted teachers was killed while in captivity, insisting it was “unthinkable” that anyone would deliberately orchestrate such an ordeal.
“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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate in a motion moved by Adams Oshiomhole and second by Aniken Bassey cautioned the Oyo State governor to be measured in his statements, and not undermine the efforts of the Federal government and security agencies in the fight against insecurity and insurgency.
According to the Senators the rescue mission lasted more than 50 days with casualties and culminated in the release of the victims on July 10, 2026. The operation also led to the arrest of eight suspected terrorists, while several others were neutralised.