Makinde Receives Oyo Abduction Report, Pledges Security Reset

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has received the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, promising to examine its recommendations and implement measures aimed at preventing a recurrence.

The governor received the report on Tuesday at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office in Ibadan from the commission’s chairman, Justice Mojeed Owoade, a retired professor.

The commission was established after the May 15 attack on three schools in the Oriire area, during which 39 pupils and seven teachers were abducted. The victims were held for 56 days before their release on July 10. Two teachers died during the ordeal.

Presenting the report, Owoade said the commission visited the affected communities and schools and conducted public hearings in Ikoyi-Ile, Ogbomoso and Ibadan.

He said 72 witnesses, including victims, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, experts and other stakeholders, appeared before the commission.

According to him, the recommendations cover responsibilities for the Oyo State Government, local governments, joint Federal-State action and the Federal Government.

One of the major recommendations was a review of the laws and management of forest reserves, particularly the Old Oyo National Park, which is under federal jurisdiction.

Receiving the report, Makinde acknowledged that the incident tested the security architecture developed by his administration.

The governor said the state had previously strengthened its security response through the operation of the 615 emergency number, expansion of the security control room and improved communication among the police, Amotekun, Operation Burst and other security agencies.

However, he said the abduction showed that existing measures still had weaknesses that needed to be addressed.

Makinde said the objective should go beyond rescuing victims after an attack, stressing the need to identify what could have prevented the incident, improved the response and made schools safer.

He linked the lessons from the incident to his call for a broader security reset in Nigeria, saying effective security required clearly defined and functioning systems.

The governor pledged that the commission’s findings would lead to decisions, assignment of responsibilities and measurable changes that the public could monitor.

He also thanked security agencies, local hunters, vigilantes, intelligence services and other stakeholders who participated in the rescue operation.

Makinde said the safety of children would remain a key measure of the effectiveness of the changes to be introduced following the report.