The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has berated Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State over his call for a United Nations (UN)-backed investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the State.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that Makinde had, on Monday, urged the UN and other international accountability bodies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Ogbomoso abduction and rescue of the victims, saying Nigerians deserve a full account of what transpired.
The Governor said, “The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institutions.”
Reacting to Makinde’s call in an interview on Monday, Onanuga stated that the call for a probe was unnecessary, as the military and other security agencies had already explained the circumstances surrounding the operation.
He questioned the basis for the governor’s demand, saying there was no reason for security agencies to deliberately allow children to remain in captivity.
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Onanuga noted that the operation came at a cost, with members of the military and the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, losing their lives during the mission.
He, however, accused Governor Makinde of reducing the saga to politics.
“The governor has just expressed his opinion that the UN should probe this incident. Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained.
“Look at those kids. Some of them are just about four or six years old. Will anyone want to deliberately subject them to the trauma they went through for 56 days?
“It is just unfortunate that Mr Makinde, maybe because of politics, because he is a presidential candidate now, doesn’t have any trust in our own institutions and is now calling on an external body to come and investigate.
“The man is just playing politics, and it is the politics of the bizarre. He wants to weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory,” he added
