The Senate on Tuesday cautioned Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, against calling on foreign human rights organisations to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of the state.
The upper chamber argued that seeking intervention from foreign organisations, particularly the United Nations, on the matter could undermine the federal government’s efforts to tackle insecurity.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion presented by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, during the plenary on the need to commend President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their roles in rescuing the abducted school children and teachers.
The victims were rescued last Friday in a coordinated operation involving the military and other security agencies after spending 56 days in captivity.
One of the prayers of the motion was to urge Mr Makinde to refrain from making statements that could be interpreted as diminishing the federal government’s efforts to address insecurity.
The governor, in a state broadcast on Monday, iwhich he made after the military handed over the rescued schoolchildren and teachers to the state government, called on international human rights accountability organisations, including those within the United Nations system, to independently review the circumstances surrounding the abduction and the victims’ eventual release.
He argued that such independent international scrutiny would strengthen, rather than undermine, public confidence in Nigeria’s institutions.
However, senators disagreed with the governor’s position, arguing that it politicised the issue and could trivialise the efforts of security agencies and the federal government.
Specifically, Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, said Mr Makinde’s call for foreign scrutiny was inconsistent with Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, further argued that the governor’s remarks were intended to politicise a successful rescue operation carried out by the military on the directive of the president.
He urged the Senate to condemn the governor’s comments and caution him against making similar statements in the future.
When the proposal was put to a voice vote, it received overwhelming support from senators.
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, subsequently directed the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamorudeen Ogunlana, to transmit copies of the Senate’s resolutions to President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the service chiefs and heads of other security agencies.
The presidency had earlier condemned Mr Makinde’s call.
The motion
Mr Bamidele, while presenting the motion, commended President Tinubu and the Armed Forces for the successful rescue of the abducted school children and teachers.
He disclosed that four security personnel were killed during the operation in gun battles with the kidnappers.
According to him, the officers who lost their lives were Lieutenant F. A. Isaac (N/20349) of the Nigerian Army, Private Silas Musa (23NA/84/4604) of the 81 Battalion, Nigerian Army, and Sergeant Abena John Jerome (F/No. 234511) of the Nigeria Police Force.
He also said Lance Corporal Adamu Hussain (16NA/75/6430) of the 81 Battalion sustained injuries during the operation.
Mr Bamidele said the successful rescue demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture through enhanced intelligence gathering, improved logistics, better inter-agency coordination and sustained military operations.
He added that the operation had boosted public confidence in the ability of the Armed Forces to combat terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
The Senate leader urged the chamber to pay tribute to the officers who lost their lives, sympathise with their families and ensure that the rescued children and teachers receive adequate trauma support.
READ ALSO: Senate rejects Makinde’s call for UN probe into Oyo school abduction
Debate
Most senators who spoke during the debate supported the motion and its prayers.
Oyo North Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, commended the federal government and the military for the successful rescue operation.
Kebbi Central Senator, Adamu Aliero, urged the government to invest in long-term solutions to insecurity, noting that incidents of schoolchildren abduction were becoming more frequent.
Borno North Senator, Tahir Monguno, called on the government and military to apply the same level of commitment to securing the release of abducted schoolchildren in Borno State.
Bauchi Central Senator, Abdul Ningi, urged the government to immediately parade and prosecute suspects arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
He also proposed that the families of security personnel who died during the operation should be compensated and that the deceased officers should be promoted posthumously.
