The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the abduction of students and teachers at Oriire community in Olorunsogo Local Government has called for a review of laws and management of forest reserves, especially the Old Oyo National Park, to address insecurity.
Chairman of the Commission, Justice (Prof.) Mojeed Owoade (retd), announced this on Tuesday while presenting the report to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Executive Chamber, Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan.
He said the Commission made recommendations for the Oyo State Government, local governments, joint Federal-State action, and the Federal Government alone.
He thanked the Governor for entrusting the Commission with the assignment.
He said: “We visited the scenes of the crime, inspected the affected schools, and went through the bushes to have first hand knowledge of what actually happened on that fateful day.
“We held public hearings in Ikoyi Ile, Ogbomoso, and Ibadan. On the whole, we took 72 witnesses, including victims, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, individuals, experts, and other stakeholders.
“We produced a report aimed at strengthening preventive security measures for the future through improved intelligence gathering and necessary cooperation between security agencies and government institutions.”
Receiving the report, Governor Makinde assured that his administration would thoroughly examine the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the abduction of students and teachers at Oriire Community in Olorunsogo Local Government Area.
He noted that the Oriire attack tested the security architecture his administration had built over the years.
He said: “When we came into office, the 615 toll free number had been approved but was not yet operational. The City Watch and Security Control Room infrastructure had also been initiated, although parts of the system were not functioning as they should. We operationalized the 615, refurbished and expanded the control room, expanded its coverage, and connected the Police, Amotekun, Operation Burst, and other relevant services through a communication system that helped them coordinate a response.”
He added: “Some people will say that under this administration, we brought down the crime rate. But Oriire is part of the record. No responsible government can point to earlier progress and ask families to overlook a grave failure of protection.”
Makinde commended those involved in the rescue operation: “We can never diminish the effort of those who contributed — the Operational Coordination Center, Amotekun personnel, hunters, vigilantes, the military, police, intelligence services, and other federal agencies. I must also thank the DG DSS and the State Directors of Security in Oyo and Lagos States who relocated to Oyo during this period.”
He emphasized that rescue alone is not enough.
“Rescue cannot be the only measure of success. We must ask: What could have prevented the attack? What could have shortened the ordeal? What will make children safer in their schools?”
Linking the lessons to his national advocacy, the Governor said, “This is why, at the national level, I have discussed a security reset for Nigeria. We must have distinct systems. The reason we could ask the commission to see where there may have been failure is because we have a system — so we can point to where it broke. Nigeria must also have a working system.”
He added, “This commission’s report will lead to decisions, assigning responsibilities, and progress that the public can follow. Our children’s safety must be the test of what changes.”
The Governor explained why the Judicial Commission of Inquiry was established.
“We established this Judicial Commission of Inquiry to examine how the attack occurred, what information was available, how institutions responded, whether there were intelligence, administrative, or operational failures, and what must change to prevent another such tragedy.”
