A Judicial Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Oyo State Government to investigate the May 15, 2026 abduction of 39 pupils and seven teachers in Oriire Local Government Area has submitted its report after taking evidence from 72 witnesses.

The chairman of the commission, retired Justice Mojeed Owoade, presented the report to Governor Seyi Makinde on Tuesday at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.

Owoade said the commission conducted extensive investigations, including visits to the scenes of the attack and the affected schools, as well as public hearings in Ikoyi-Ile, Ogbomoso and Ibadan.

He said the 72 witnesses who appeared before the commission included victims of the incident, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, experts, individuals and other stakeholders.

According to him, the commission’s report contains recommendations designed to strengthen preventive security measures, improve intelligence gathering and enhance cooperation between security agencies and government institutions.

“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,” Owoade said.

“We held public hearings in Ikoyi-Ile, Ogbomoso, and Ibadan.

On the whole, we took 72 witnesses, including victims, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, individuals, experts, and other stakeholders.”

He said the commission’s recommendations were intended to prevent a recurrence of the incident by addressing gaps in intelligence gathering and coordination among relevant institutions.

A major recommendation, Owoade disclosed, concerns the management and security of forest reserves, particularly the Old Oyo National Park, where the victims were held after their abduction.

“Of particular significance is our opinion that there is a need to review the laws and management of forest reserves, especially the Old Oyo National Park, which belongs to the Federal Government.

“This is essential for maintaining security,” he said.

Makinde receives report
Receiving the report, Governor Seyi Makinde said the findings and recommendations would guide the state government’s decisions and the assignment of responsibilities following the incident.

The governor said the safety of children would be the ultimate test of any changes implemented as a result of the commission’s findings.

Makinde assured residents that his administration would carefully examine the recommendations and act on them, stressing that confidentiality would not be used to avoid accountability.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the governor said the Oriire attack tested the security architecture his administration had developed over the years.

He recalled that the state had operationalised its 615 toll-free emergency number, refurbished and expanded its security control room and strengthened communication among security agencies and other security services.

“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 operationalised 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,” Makinde said.

The governor acknowledged that although his administration had previously recorded progress in reducing crime, the Oriire incident represented a serious failure that could not be overlooked.

“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,” he said.

‘Rescue cannot be the only measure of success’
Makinde also praised security personnel and other groups involved in the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers.

He acknowledged the contributions of the Operational Coordination Centre, Amotekun personnel, hunters, vigilantes, the military, police, intelligence services and other federal agencies.

The governor also commended the Director-General of the Department of State Services and the State Directors of Security in Oyo and Lagos states for their involvement in the response.

However, he said the successful rescue of the victims should not be the only measure used to assess the government’s response.

“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?” he said.

Makinde said the lessons from the incident had also informed his advocacy for a broader security reset at the national level.

He said a functioning security system should make it possible to identify where failures occurred and assign responsibility for correcting them.

“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 that we have a system — so we can point to where it broke.

Nigeria must also have a working system,” the governor said.

He added that the commission’s report would lead to decisions, the assignment of responsibilities and actions that members of the public would be able to monitor.

“Our children’s safety must be the test of what changes,” he said.

Why Oyo set up the commission
Explaining the reason for establishing the judicial commission, Makinde said the panel was mandated to examine how the attack occurred, the information available to authorities before the incident and the response of relevant institutions.

“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,” he said.

The governor thanked Justice Owoade and other members of the commission for completing the assignment despite the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the incident.

“When it was set up, it was in a politically charged atmosphere. But you took on the assignment and saw it through to a logical conclusion.

I say thank you on behalf of myself, the government, and the people of Oyo State,” Makinde said.

He also urged residents of Oyo State and Nigerians who had followed the inquiry to examine the evidence presented by the commission and assess the government’s actions before, during and after the attack.

“Please examine the evidence, examine what we did before, what happened when the attack came, what this commission has found, and what we do in response.

“And judge us by that full record and hold us to the changes we promise,” he said.

Makinde seeks rescue of Borno schoolchildren
The governor also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of 40 schoolchildren abducted in Borno State on the same day as the Oriire attack.

According to Makinde, the children have remained in captivity for more than 110 days.

“I am calling on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to rescue the 40 schoolchildren abducted in Borno State the same day as the Oriire abduction who have remained in captivity for over 110 days,” he said.

Makinde said children should be able to attend school anywhere in Nigeria without fearing for their lives.

“No Nigerian child, irrespective of what corner of Nigeria they may be located, should have to fear for their life because they are trying to get educated,” he said.

Assembly pledges stronger security legislation
The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, commended the chairman and members of the commission for their commitment to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the abduction.

Ogundoyin said the state legislature would continue to prioritise legislation and other interventions aimed at strengthening security and protecting schools and communities.

“I commend the chairman and members of the panel for their service and commitment to uncovering the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.

“The Oyo State House of Assembly will continue to give priority to legislation and other legislative interventions that will strengthen security, protect our schools and communities, and enhance the safety of residents across the state.

“The lessons from this incident must translate into stronger systems and concrete actions to prevent a recurrence,” he added.

How the Oriire abduction happened
The judicial commission was constituted following the May 15, 2026 attack by suspected bandits on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.

The affected institutions were Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School.

The attack resulted in the abduction of 39 pupils and seven teachers, including the principal, Mrs Alamu.

The victims were held by their abductors for 56 days inside the Old Oyo National Park before they were released on July 10, 2026.

The incident also resulted in the deaths of two teachers, Michael Oyedokun and Adesiyan Adegboye.

The submission of the commission’s report now puts the focus on the recommendations contained in the document and the measures to be taken by the Oyo State Government and relevant federal authorities to strengthen security around schools and forest reserves and prevent similar incidents.

A Lagos teenager who was remanded in custody in 2022 over an allegation linked to slippers similar to those worn by a complainant has regained his freedom after spending nearly four years behind bars without being taken to court.

The teenager, whose identity was withheld, was released alongside another defendant following the intervention of the non-governmental organisation, Citizens Gavel.

The organisation disclosed the development in a post seen by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, explaining that its legal team discovered the two defendants during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Lagos in January 2024.

According to Citizens Gavel, the teenager had been arrested in 2022 because he was wearing slippers similar to those allegedly worn by the complainant. Despite being held in custody, he had not appeared before a court for months.

The organisation said the discovery prompted its legal team to investigate and take up the matter.

“Their ordeal came to our attention in January 2024 during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre, where our legal team in Lagos interviewed them and discovered that, despite having been arrested since 2022, they had never been taken to court.”

Citizens Gavel said it subsequently tracked the case through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and eventually located it at the court of Justice Coker.

The organisation made its first appearance in the case in March 2024 and said it appeared before Justice Coker more than seven times as the matter was repeatedly adjourned.

According to the group, the prosecution failed to call a single witness despite the numerous adjournments.

It said its lawyers consequently filed several applications asking the court to strike out the case.

“From then on, we continued appearing before Justice Coker on more than seven occasions for trial and filed several applications urging the court to strike out the case despite all the adjournments and the prosecution failing to produce a single witness,” the organisation stated.

Citizens Gavel said it was later informed in early 2025 that Justice Coker had been assigned to official duties and that the case would be transferred to another court.

The organisation said its legal team resumed efforts to trace the case and eventually discovered that it had been transferred to the court of Justice Oshodi.

According to the group, it first appeared before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, when the charges were read to the two defendants and they pleaded not guilty.

At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, Citizens Gavel said it filed a No Case Submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence establishing a case for the defendants to answer.

The matter was subsequently adjourned for ruling.

Citizens Gavel said the court, in its ruling, upheld the No Case Submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants.

The organisation described the outcome as particularly significant because of the length of time the two men had spent in custody and the lack of family or legal support during much of the period.

“What makes this victory even more profound is that throughout this nearly four-year ordeal, not a single member of either defendant’s family appeared in court.

No other lawyer also represented them. They endured years in custody largely unseen and unheard. Today, they walk free,” Citizens Gavel said.

The case highlights concerns about prolonged pre-trial detention and the importance of timely access to legal representation and judicial review for people held in custody.

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 60-year-old man, Abdullahi Abubakar, for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-old boy, Usman Dauda, in Shira Local Government Area of the state.

The police also rescued the teenager unhurt during an operation carried out after receiving a distress report from his father.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Bauchi, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Habib said the incident occurred after the Yana Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call at about 10pm on September 28, 2026, from the victim’s 50-year-old father.

According to him, the father reported that his son had allegedly been abducted from Misau town and taken to Bangala Village by Abubakar.

The suspect was allegedly planning to take the teenager to Kano for reasons that had yet to be established.

“Upon receipt of the report, detectives swiftly mobilised to the scene, successfully rescued the victim unhurt and arrested the suspect,” Habib said.

He added that the teenager was subsequently taken to the General Hospital, Yana, for medical examination.

The police spokesperson said preliminary investigation showed that the suspect allegedly confessed to unlawfully confining the victim in his room for one day without proper feeding.

Five arrested over alleged theft in Bauchi
In a separate operation, police operatives attached to the ‘A’ Division arrested five suspects at Doya Quarters, Bauchi, over alleged criminal conspiracy, trespass, housebreaking, mischief and theft.

Habib said the suspects allegedly invaded an incomplete building at Doya Quarters and removed windows and glass before the owner arrived.

He said the suspects were arrested after operatives, acting on credible intelligence, moved to the area.

“However, luck ran out on them as operatives, acting on credible intelligence, promptly swooped on the area and apprehended all five suspects, with the stolen items recovered as exhibits,” he said.

The command also reported another arrest following information received at about 5:30am that some suspected hoodlums had been seen carrying items believed to have been stolen in a black bag.

According to Habib, operatives of the ‘A’ Division responded to the information and arrested the suspects.

He said preliminary investigation subsequently established that the items were stolen.
By about noon, the owners reportedly traced the recovered items to the police division and presented proof of ownership before they were released.

The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed that all the cases be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation and prosecution.

The command urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to the police to support efforts to protect lives and property.