A public affairs commentator, Jagun Jagun Abiodun Ishola Ladepo, has criticised Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his reported call for an international investigation into the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the move as a vote of no confidence in Nigeria’s security institutions and a challenge to the country’s sovereignty.
In a strongly worded opinion post, Ladepo questioned why a sitting governor would seek foreign intervention in the investigation of a security incident within his state, arguing that such a position undermines the efforts of the Federal Government and the nation’s security agencies.
He accused the governor of politicising the tragic kidnapping, insisting that the victims endured 56 days in captivity while security agencies mounted what he described as an intensive joint rescue operation that reportedly claimed the lives of security personnel.
Ladepo dismissed suggestions that the abduction may have been orchestrated to damage Makinde’s alleged 2027 presidential ambition, saying such claims diminish the suffering of the victims and their families.
According to him, “You are desecrating their pain, their fear and their anguish by suggesting they were victims of politics.”
The commentator further challenged the governor’s record on security and governance, questioning the utilisation of security votes received by the state despite what he described as the governor’s assertion that internal security rests primarily with the Federal Government.
He urged Makinde to become the first Nigerian governor to publicly account for security votes received during his administration, arguing that transparency was necessary if the governor intended to question the performance of federal security institutions.
Ladepo also alleged that the state’s anti-open grazing law, signed into law in 2019, has not been effectively enforced, claiming that herders continue to graze openly across parts of Oyo State.
Turning to the state’s security infrastructure, he demanded an explanation over the whereabouts of two DA 42 MNG ISR surveillance aircraft reportedly purchased by the Oyo State Government for N7.7 billion.
He recalled that Governor Makinde had announced in July 2025 that the aircraft had been acquired to strengthen the state’s security architecture and later stated in May 2026 that they were at a Nigerian Air Force facility in Lagos awaiting assembly by the manufacturers.
Ladepo noted that months after the governor’s explanation, the aircraft had yet to become operational, urging the national media to intensify scrutiny of the project before attention shifts to international investigations.
“Before international organisations come to investigate Oriire, Nigerians deserve answers on where the state’s surveillance aircraft are,” he said.
The commentator also raised concerns over accountability in the administration, questioning what he described as the absence of publicly known investigations or prosecutions under the state’s anti-corruption law.
Governor Makinde has yet to publicly respond to the allegations and questions raised by Ladepo.
He accused the governor of politicising the tragic kidnapping, insisting that the victims endured 56 days in captivity while security agencies mounted what he described as an intensive joint rescue operation that reportedly claimed the lives of security personnel.
Ladepo dismissed suggestions that the abduction may have been orchestrated to damage Makinde’s alleged 2027 presidential ambition, saying such claims diminish the suffering of the victims and their families.
According to him, “You are desecrating their pain, their fear and their anguish by suggesting they were victims of politics.”
The commentator further challenged the governor’s record on security and governance, questioning the utilisation of security votes received by the state despite what he described as the governor’s assertion that internal security rests primarily with the Federal Government.
He urged Makinde to become the first Nigerian governor to publicly account for security votes received during his administration, arguing that transparency was necessary if the governor intended to question the performance of federal security institutions.
Ladepo also alleged that the state’s anti-open grazing law, signed into law in 2019, has not been effectively enforced, claiming that herders continue to graze openly across parts of Oyo State.
Turning to the state’s security infrastructure, he demanded an explanation over the whereabouts of two DA 42 MNG ISR surveillance aircraft reportedly purchased by the Oyo State Government for N7.7 billion.
He recalled that Governor Makinde had announced in July 2025 that the aircraft had been acquired to strengthen the state’s security architecture and later stated in May 2026 that they were at a Nigerian Air Force facility in Lagos awaiting assembly by the manufacturers.
Ladepo noted that months after the governor’s explanation, the aircraft had yet to become operational, urging the national media to intensify scrutiny of the project before attention shifts to international investigations.
“Before international organisations come to investigate Oriire, Nigerians deserve answers on where the state’s surveillance aircraft are,” he said.
The commentator also raised concerns over accountability in the administration, questioning what he described as the absence of publicly known investigations or prosecutions under the state’s anti-corruption law.
Governor Makinde has yet to publicly respond to the allegations and questions raised by Ladepo.
The governor had previously defended his administration’s handling of security matters and maintained that investments in surveillance technology were aimed at strengthening efforts against crime across Oyo State.
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