The camp of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has joined calls for an independent investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, following fresh claims by one of the released victims.
Paul Ibe, media aide to Atiku, made the call in a post on X after a freed teacher, Mr. Olatunde Zacchaeus, stated during an interview on Nigerian Info FM that the victims were released by their captors rather than rescued by security forces.
According to Ibe, the teacher’s account appears to contradict the Federal Government’s earlier announcement that the 44 pupils and teachers were rescued after spending 56 days in captivity. He questioned the differing narratives and argued that the incident deserved an independent review.
In his post, Ibe referenced the Presidency’s July 10 statement, issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, which announced that the victims had been rescued by Nigerian security agencies. He suggested that the conflicting accounts had renewed concerns over how the victims regained their freedom.
The Atiku camp also backed Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s earlier appeal for an independent investigation. Makinde had called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to examine the circumstances surrounding the abduction and eventual return of the victims, saying the incident warranted broader scrutiny.
The governor had explained that the pupils and teachers spent two days under military care for medical attention and routine profiling before they were reunited with their families. He also disclosed that several of the victims required treatment after enduring nearly two months in captivity.
The victims were abducted on May 15 when armed attackers invaded three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area. According to official accounts, 39 pupils and six teachers were taken during the attack. One teacher was killed during the abduction, while another reportedly died while the victims remained in captivity.
As of the time of reporting, the Federal Government has not publicly responded to the claims made by the released teacher or the renewed calls for an independent investigation…See More
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