Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has called for an independent international review of the abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area, saying the circumstances surrounding the incident and its eventual resolution deserve closer scrutiny in the interest of justice and public confidence.

Speaking after the victims were rescued from captivity, the governor said the case was too serious to end with celebrations alone, insisting that Nigerians deserved a full account of how the abduction happened, what transpired during the weeks the victims remained in captivity and whether there were failures or complicity within the country’s security system.

“The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institutions,” Makinde said.

He urged appropriate international human rights and accountability bodies, including mechanisms within the United Nations system, to examine the facts surrounding both the abduction and the circumstances of the rescue.

According to him, such a review should not be seen as an attempt to discredit Nigeria’s institutions but as a means of strengthening public trust by ensuring that the truth is established and anyone found responsible is held accountable, regardless of status or position.

Makinde noted that under Nigeria’s Constitution, responsibility for national security rests with the Federal Government and the security agencies under its control. He therefore said Nigerians deserve a transparent explanation of what occurred, including whether there were institutional failures, negligence or collusion at any level and what lessons have been learnt to prevent a recurrence.

“This is not about politics,” the governor said. “It is about justice for the victims, reassurance for our people and restoring public confidence that every Nigerian child can go to school without fear.”

His latest remarks build on concerns he raised while the pupils and teachers were still in captivity.

In the weeks following the attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area, Makinde repeatedly argued that the incident exposed the limitations of the country’s highly centralised security structure. While acknowledging the efforts of security agencies, he maintained that governors, who are constitutionally described as chief security officers of their states, have limited authority over the police and other federal security formations operating within their jurisdictions.

The governor said the experience reinforced his long-held support for the creation of state police, arguing that local policing would improve intelligence gathering, speed up emergency response and strengthen accountability to the communities being protected.

He maintained that security challenges vary across states and that allowing sub-national governments to establish and manage their own police services, subject to constitutional safeguards, would make it easier to respond quickly to emerging threats.

Following the rescue of the pupils and teachers, the governor welcomed the development as a relief to the affected families and communities. He, however, stressed that the successful operation should not close the chapter on the incident without a thorough examination of the events that led to the attack and the handling of the crisis.

According to Makinde, accountability remains as important as the rescue itself. He said establishing the full facts would not only provide justice for those directly affected but also help strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and reassure parents that schools remain safe places for children to learn.

The governor said only a transparent investigation, backed by accountability where necessary, would restore confidence that such an incident would not be repeated in any part of the country.