They say when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. In Oyo State, the grass has been 39 schoolchildren and six teachers, caught between a governor’s convictions and a Presidency’s patience.
The crisis began on May 15, 2026, when bandits stormed three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting the pupils and teachers. They spent 56 days in captivity before a joint security operation secured their release.
Governor Seyi Makinde, rather than simply celebrating the rescue, called for the United Nations to launch an independent investigation into the entire episode. He argued the tragedy was too grave to be left to domestic institutions alone.
Abuja did not take it lightly. Presidential Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga dismissed the request as “politics of the bizarre,” accusing Makinde of undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty. The Senate passed a resolution cautioning him, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole branded his conduct “unstatesmanly.” The Oyo State Assembly, however, stood firmly behind its governor. The timing has fuelled the fire. Makinde recently accepted a presidential nomination under the APM, and he pointedly noted that the abduction occurred barely hours after he declared his ambition, an implication that has not gone unnoticed in Abuja.
