Oyo School Abduction: Makinde Seeks UN Probe as Principal Recounts Killings in Captivity
Teachers and pupils from Oyo State, held captive for 56 days by kidnappers, have been rescued following a multi-agency operation. Principal Rachael Alamu detailed the harrowing ordeal, including the killing of two captives, while Governor Seyi Makinde has called for an independent investigation into the abduction.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called for an independent international investigation into the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, as survivors reveal how members of the group were killed during their 56 days in captivity.
Armed men riding motorcycles carried out coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire, targeting Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, LA Primary School and Community High School in the Ahoro-Esiele area.
The attacks left families and communities in distress as dozens of pupils, teachers and a school principal were taken into the forest.
One teacher, Joel Adegboye Adesiyan, was reportedly shot dead while trying to protect pupils during the attack. Michael Oyedokun, another abducted teacher, was later killed in captivity.
Rachael Folawe Alamu, principal of Community High School, said the kidnappers repeatedly told the captives that the government had abandoned them.
She said the threats were intended to weaken their resolve and pressure the authorities into meeting the abductors’ demands.
Alamu also revealed that the kidnappers killed two captives to force the government into negotiations.
She identified one victim as Michael, who was killed on the second day of their captivity. Another man, whom the survivors called Deacon, was killed on the first Sunday in June.
The victims regained their freedom on July 10 following a joint security operation involving the military, police and the Department of State Services.
President Bola Tinubu praised the agencies for rescuing 44 pupils and teachers after 56 days in captivity. He said eight suspected abductors were arrested while other members of the group were killed during the operation.
The Presidency said the rescue was achieved through intelligence gathering and coordinated action by Nigerian security forces. Publicly available official accounts did not indicate that a ransom or prisoner exchange secured the victims’ release.
The operation involved ground troops, police officers, intelligence personnel, local hunters, vigilantes and Amotekun operatives searching the dense forest where the captives were believed to be held.
The thick vegetation reportedly limited the effectiveness of aerial and drone surveillance, forcing the security teams to sustain an extensive ground operation.
After the victims were handed over to the Oyo State Government, Makinde thanked President Tinubu and the security agencies involved in their rescue.
However, the governor said questions surrounding the abduction and the events leading to the victims’ release required independent scrutiny.
Makinde therefore called on relevant United Nations agencies and international human-rights bodies to investigate the incident.
He said such an investigation should establish the truth, determine whether negligence, institutional failure or collusion played any role and ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable.
Makinde maintained that his request was not intended to undermine Nigeria’s institutions but to restore confidence and reassure families that children could attend school without fear.
The governor’s proposal has drawn opposition from the Federal Government and the National Assembly.
The Senate rejected Makinde’s request for a UN investigation, arguing that the kidnapping was a domestic security matter and that inviting an international body could undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and the work of local security agencies.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga also criticised the proposal, insisting that the successful rescue demonstrated the capacity of Nigeria’s security institutions.
Meanwhile, the rescued victims received medical care and psychological support at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
Many have since begun reuniting with their families after being discharged.
Alamu thanked the government, security agencies and Nigerians who prayed for the captives during their ordeal. She acknowledged that the survivors had returned with deep physical and emotional scars but expressed hope that they would gradually recover.