Retired General backs Makinde’s call for international probe into Oriire school abduction

Michael Olumide Alabi

Retired Major General Ishola Williams has thrown his weight behind Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for an independent international investigation into the abduction and eventual rescue of pupils and teachers kidnapped in Oriire Local Government Area, arguing that the governor’s demand is both justified and consistent with precedents established during previous national security crises.

Williams, a retired two-star general, made the remarks during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Friday, where he also alleged that local communities may be aiding kidnapping operations across the country.

Governor Makinde had earlier called for a United Nations-backed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Oriire school abduction and the military operation that secured the release of the pupils and teachers after they spent 56 days in captivity.

Backing the governor’s position, Williams recalled that during the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, there were widespread calls for international organisations to investigate the incident.

According to him, those who demanded international scrutiny during the Chibok crisis cannot now fault Makinde for making a similar request.

“Makinde is right in making that call. During the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan, when the Chibok girls were kidnapped, international organisations were invited, and there were widespread calls for global intervention. What comes around turns around,” Williams said.

He stressed that Makinde was merely following an already established precedent and was not introducing anything new.

However, the retired military officer clarified that under Nigeria’s constitutional and diplomatic arrangements, a state governor lacks the authority to formally invite the United Nations to investigate a security matter.

He explained that only the Federal Government, acting through the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, possesses such powers.

Instead, Williams suggested that internationally respected independent organisations, particularly Amnesty International, should be invited to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident.

Beyond supporting an independent probe, Williams questioned what he described as glaring intelligence failures that allowed heavily armed kidnappers to invade a school, abduct dozens of pupils and teachers, and move them into the bush without detection.

He said the incident exposed significant weaknesses within Oyo State’s grassroots security architecture and called for accountability from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Amotekun Corps, local intelligence networks and community leadership.

The retired general wondered whether the state’s intelligence gathering mechanisms were functioning effectively and questioned the competence of officials responsible for internal security.

He argued that in a country with an effective security system, senior officials responsible for intelligence failures would have faced sanctions.

According to Williams, accountability should extend beyond the kidnappers themselves to include security personnel and community leaders who failed to detect or prevent the attack.

He further alleged that criminal gangs could not sustain such operations without receiving some level of cooperation from members of the affected communities.

According to him, armed kidnappers operating in rural areas depend heavily on local support networks for logistics, intelligence and concealment.

Williams also expressed doubts over official accounts of the rescue operation, saying security agencies should release more details to enable independent experts to evaluate the mission and identify lessons that could strengthen future responses to similar incidents.

He maintained that the military should focus greater attention on combating insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East rather than deploying extensive resources to isolated kidnapping operations.

The retired general renewed his longstanding advocacy for state policing, insisting that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure has become ineffective in addressing contemporary security challenges.

He argued that governors, who are constitutionally recognised as chief security officers of their states, should be granted greater operational authority while receiving intelligence and investigative support from specialised federal agencies.

Williams proposed that Nigeria should strengthen federal criminal investigation and intelligence agencies while allowing states to establish effective policing structures capable of responding rapidly to local security threats.

He also questioned the volume of manpower and intelligence reportedly deployed during the Oriire rescue operation, arguing that if similar commitment and coordination were consistently applied in the North-East, the country could make greater progress against insurgency.

Finally, Williams called for stricter accountability for traditional rulers and community leaders whenever criminal groups repeatedly operate within their domains.

According to him, communities that continually serve as safe havens for kidnappers should no longer escape scrutiny, warning that some villages may be benefiting financially from the activities of criminal gangs.

He maintained that tackling kidnapping in Nigeria would require not only stronger intelligence and security reforms but also greater responsibility and accountability at the community level.