Oyo Abduction: Partisan Politics Taken Too Far, Oshiomhole Slams Makinde Over UN Investigation Call

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has criticised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his call for the United Nations to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction and rescue of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the request as unnecessary and damaging to Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Speaking during Tuesday’s plenary at the Senate, the lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District said the governor’s remarks amounted to taking partisan politics too far and undermined the efforts of the Federal Government and security agencies that secured the victims’ release.

Governor Makinde had, during a statewide broadcast on Monday after the rescued pupils and teachers were formally handed over to the Oyo State Government, appealed to the United Nations and other international human rights and accountability organisations to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The governor argued that the abduction raised important questions that required independent scrutiny beyond Nigeria’s domestic institutions.

Reacting to the statement, Oshiomhole insisted that Nigeria remained a sovereign nation capable of investigating and addressing its own security challenges without external intervention.

According to the former Edo State governor, the call for an international probe was inappropriate and failed to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the country’s security personnel during the rescue operation.

“The Oyo State Governor calling on the United Nations to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction and even the rescue is the most unstatesmanlike action,” Oshiomhole said.

“He carries partisan politics too far, and this Senate should condemn his unguided statement. Nigeria is a sovereign nation.”

The senator maintained that inviting foreign organisations to investigate the incident could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s institutions and diminish the achievements of the country’s security forces.

He noted that the successful rescue demonstrated the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies to recover hostages without yielding to kidnappers’ demands.

“There are several instances where our armed forces have shown that, without paying ransom, children and other victims can be rescued,” he said.

Oshiomhole further argued that Makinde’s comments trivialised the efforts of President Bola Tinubu, whom he described as the Commander-in-Chief, and the various security agencies involved in the operation.

The rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers followed weeks of coordinated intelligence-driven operations by multiple security agencies, ending their 56-day captivity in the forests of Oyo State.

The exchange has added a political dimension to the aftermath of the rescue, with differing views emerging over how the incident should be investigated and addressed.