Makinde recently received the students and teachers who were kidnapped in the Esiele and Yawata communities of Oriire LGA of Oyo State, and reunited them with their parents and families.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has constituted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the abduction of students and teachers in the Esiele and Yawata communities of the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
He inaugurated the commission on Friday at the Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
Speaking at the event, Makinde disclosed that he was accused of orchestrating the Oriire school abduction, noting that the panel would unravel what truly transpired.
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According to the governor, the commission will independently investigate the circumstances surrounding the May 15, 2026 abduction, identify institutional and operational failures, and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
Makinde said, “They said I orchestrated the kidnapping. The abduction of innocent children and their teachers was not merely an attack on the Ahoro, Esiele, and Yawata communities; it was an attack on the right of every Nigerian child to learn in safety and on the confidence of every parent who sends a child to school each day.
“We remain grateful for the safe return of the victims, yet our duty did not end with their rescue. Rescue, of course, brings relief. We are all relieved.”
He continued, “But truth brings closure. Accountability and reform restore public confidence and help prevent a recurrence. And because justice is not only about punishing wrongdoing, it is about learning enough to ensure that the innocent are never again placed in harm’s way.”
