Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that his administration will carefully examine and act on the recommendations contained in the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the abduction of students and teachers at Oriire Community in Olorunsogo Local Government Area.
Makinde gave the assurance on Tuesday while receiving the report from the Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Justice (Prof.) Mojeed Owoade (retd.), at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. He stressed that confidentiality would not be used as an excuse to avoid accountability or necessary action.
The governor described the incident as a serious test of the security architecture put in place by his administration. He recalled that the 615 toll-free emergency number and the City Watch and Security Control Room had been strengthened to improve coordination among security agencies, including the Police, Amotekun, Operation Burst and other relevant services.
Makinde acknowledged the efforts of security personnel and other groups involved in the rescue operation, including Amotekun, hunters, vigilantes, the military, police and intelligence agencies. However, he stressed that rescue alone should not be the only measure of success, saying the government must determine what could have prevented the attack, shortened the ordeal and made schools safer.
The governor said the inquiry was established to determine how the attack occurred, what information was available at the time, how relevant institutions responded and whether there were intelligence, administrative or operational failures. He added that the findings would guide decisions, assignment of responsibilities and further improvements in the state’s security system.
He also linked the lessons from the incident to his call for a “security reset” at the national level, arguing that Nigeria needs functional systems that allow authorities to identify failures and respond effectively. He said the safety of children must remain the major test of the changes that would follow from the report.
Presenting the report, Justice Owoade said the Commission visited the crime scenes and affected schools and conducted public hearings in Ikoyi Ile, Ogbomoso and Ibadan. He disclosed that the Commission heard from 72 witnesses, including victims, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, experts and other stakeholders.
Justice Owoade said the Commission made recommendations covering the Oyo State Government, local governments, joint Federal-State action and the Federal Government. Among the key recommendations, he highlighted the need to review the laws and management of forest reserves, particularly the Old Oyo National Park, in order to strengthen security and prevent similar incidents in the future.
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