The Federal Government on Friday charged three men, Abdulrazak Umar (a.k.a. Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (a.k.a. Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (a.k.a. Abu Itisar), before the Federal High Court, Abuja for the recent kidnapping of children and teachers of a school in Oriire Local Council  (LGA) of Oyo State.

This was even as a retired General, Ishola Williams, has backed Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for an independent international investigation into the abduction and eventual rescue of the pupils and teachers.

Williams described the governor’s request as consistent with precedents established during previous national security crises.

Meanwhile, the Emeritus Supreme Head of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, His Most Eminence, Prophet Solomon Adegboyega Alao, has said that the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers renewed hope that Nigeria’s security agencies possess the capacity to decisively tackle the country’s security challenges.

The 10-count charge filed before the court borders on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment, incitement and illegal mining.

The defendants, all of Suleja Local Council of Niger State, are alleged to have conspired with one Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

They are further alleged to have aided the kidnap of the schoolchildren and teachers, and to have concealed information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite knowledge of the plot, offences said to contravene Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act respectively.

The charge sheet also alleged that the trio, on or about June 2, 2026, professed membership of Darul Salam, described as an affiliate of Jamaatu Asarul Muslima Fi Bilandis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Act.

In separate counts, the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, is specifically accused of providing training and instructions to terrorists and inciting members to commit acts of terrorism through a WhatsApp group titled, ‘The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace,’ offences said to contravene Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism Act as well as Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

The tenth count accused Umar of engaging in unlawful gold mining at streams within Chaza area of Suleja Local Council between 2024 and 2026, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

Speaking on Friday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, the retired two-star general argued that Makinde’s position was neither unprecedented nor inappropriate, recalling that during the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, international organisations were widely invited to scrutinise the situation.

According to him, criticism directed at Jonathan at the time, including calls for international involvement by members of the then-opposition, established a precedent that makes Makinde’s current demand legitimate.

“Makinde is right in making that call. And why is he right? Everybody remembers that during the time of former president Goodluck Jonathan when the Chibok girls were kidnapped, they were calling on everybody, international organisations and the rest. And the president was the head of that opposition party and he was criticising Jonathan like hell. Now, what comes around, turns around. So, that’s what’s happening,” he said.

Williams maintained that the governor was merely following an established pattern. “So, in that way, Makinde is not doing anything that is new. He’s following a precedent.” he added.

He, however, pointed out that, constitutionally, a state governor lacks the authority to formally invite the United Nations to investigate a security matter.

“Now, diplomatically, Makinde cannot call on the UN as a sub-national entity of Nigeria. It’s only the President, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that can tell the UN, ‘I need your help. So, please come and help us.’”

“What I expected Makinde to do, even though he mentioned it, is to call like Amnesty International, for example, that is well known all over the world, for doing independent and thorough investigation of the sort of situation Oyo state found itself.”

Beyond supporting the governor’s call, Williams questioned what he described as significant intelligence failures that allowed armed kidnappers to abduct dozens of schoolchildren without resistance.

He argued that the incident exposed weaknesses within Oyo State’s internal security structure, particularly at the grassroots level.

According to him, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Amotekun Corps, local intelligence networks and community leadership all have questions to answer over how such a large-scale operation occurred un
detected.

“Is the Ministry of Home Affairs in Oyo state working?  And the commissioner appointed by Makinde himself, is he competent? Is the intelligence department of Amotekun competent?” he asked.

Williams added that security officials and community leaders should be held accountable for failing to detect or prevent the mass abduction before it occurred and that accountability should extend beyond the kidnappers themselves. He insisted that the abductors could not have operated successfully without local collaboration.

He expressed scepticism over official accounts of the rescue operation, saying more details should be made public to enable security experts assess the operation and identify lessons that could improve responses to similar incidents elsewhere.

Williams urged security agencies to redirect greater attention to tackling insurgency in the North-East rather than deploying extensive resources to isolated kidnapping operations.

Prophet Alao, in a statement issued on Friday, commended President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security agencies for the successful operation, urging them to replicate the feat in other parts of the country where many children remain in captivity.

The cleric, who also heads the Sacred C&S Church and Overseas, expressed profound delight over the tactical synergy displayed by the various security agencies. He said the coordinated operation ensured that all the pupils and their teachers were rescued alive despite the intense gun battle between security operatives and the kidnappers.

However, he warned against complacency, stressing that true victory would only be achieved when all other kidnapped victims are rescued and their abductors brought to justice.

“As we speak, there are still hundreds of kidnapped citizens in the bushes, some students abducted from schools in Borno, Kogi, and Kwara states are still in captivity and have spent over 100 days in the forests. The security agencies must replicate the same feat achieved in Oyo State to bring them all home,” he said.

To support the efforts of security agencies, the cleric urged residents living in vulnerable communities to provide timely and credible intelligence that could aid security operations.

As part of measures to curb highway ambushes, Alao called on the Federal Government to clear bushes extending about half a kilometre on both sides of federal and state highways.

According to him, the move would eliminate hiding places for criminals and make it more difficult for them to retreat into nearby forests after attacks.

The cleric also cautioned political actors against politicising the country’s security challenges, urging both the ruling party and opposition parties to work together in the national interest.

“What is expected at this critical stage of insecurity in Nigeria is for opposition parties to present their solutions and collaborate with the government to end this menace, but we have not seen enough of that. The ruling party must also be open-minded and invite the opposition to contribute meaningfully to national discourse, especially on making Nigeria a peaceful haven for all,” he said.

Alao strongly backed the stance of the Tinubu administration against the payment of ransom to kidnappers, arguing that the practice had, in the past, inadvertently encouraged criminality.

“The previous administration inadvertently encouraged bandits and kidnappers by paying billions of naira in ransom, which made banditry a highly lucrative business for criminals in parts of the country,” the cleric said.

The cleric also prayed for the repose of the soul of Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac, the Nigerian Army officer who lost his life during the Oriire rescue operation. He urged the Federal Government to prioritise the welfare of serving security personnel and ensure that the families of fallen heroes receive adequate support.

“These fallen heroes paid the supreme sacrifice for all of us to live in peace. The families left behind must be fully supported so they never regret that their breadwinners laid down their lives for the nation,” he added.