Oyo State Assembly Backs Governor Makinde's Call for UN Probe into School Abduction
The Oyo State Assembly has endorsed Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for a United Nations investigation into the May 15 abduction of schoolchildren and teachers, diverging from the Nigerian Senate’s rejection of the move.
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The Oyo State Assembly has publicly backed Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for a United Nations investigation into the mass abduction of pupils and teachers from a school in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, intensifying a political debate over the appropriate response to the incident. The Assembly’s endorsement comes amid criticism from the Nigerian Senate, which rejected the proposal for international involvement.
According to the Oyo Assembly, repeated attacks on schools across Nigeria represent a growing and disturbing trend that demands responses beyond conventional security measures. The Assembly emphasized that an international investigation could bring transparency and accountability, while cautioning against misinterpreting the governor’s call as a challenge to national sovereignty. “The purpose of the call is not to undermine federal authority but to ensure a thorough, impartial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the abduction,” a statement from the Assembly indicated.
Governor Makinde made the call during a broadcast following the formal handover of the rescued victims to the Oyo State Government by the Nigerian military. The rescued pupils and teachers were discharged from hospital and reunited with their families shortly thereafter, as reported by Premium Times. The governor argued that an investigation by the United Nations and international human rights organisations would help uncover systemic failures and strengthen future protections for educational institutions.
However, the Nigerian Senate’s rejection of the proposal has sparked a political row, highlighting tensions between state and federal authorities over security governance. While the Senate has not issued a detailed explanation for its stance, the divergence underscores broader disagreements on how to address the persistent threat of school abductions in Nigeria. The Oyo Assembly’s support for the UN probe reflects a growing demand for multilateral scrutiny in addressing security lapses that continue to affect communities across the country.