The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has recommended a review of the management and laws governing forest reserves, particularly the Old Oyo National Park.
The recommendation was contained in the commission’s report submitted to Governor Seyi Makinde on Tuesday at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.
The commission, chaired by retired Justice (Prof.) Mojeed Owoade, said improved management of forest reserves would strengthen intelligence gathering and inter-agency cooperation while helping to protect schools and surrounding communities from security threats.
Owoade said the panel conducted extensive investigations into the abduction incidents at Esinele and Yawota communities, including visits to the affected locations and surrounding bushes.
According to him, the commission inspected the schools involved and held public hearings in Ikoyi-Ile, Ogbomoso and Ibadan, where it gathered evidence from 72 witnesses.
Those who appeared before the commission included victims, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, experts and other stakeholders.
Receiving the report, Governor Makinde said his administration would carefully study the recommendations and take necessary steps to strengthen security across the state.
Makinde also pledged that the government would publicly respond to the commission’s findings, insisting that confidentiality would not be used as a reason to avoid accountability.
The governor said the abduction had exposed areas requiring further attention within the state’s security architecture, particularly the protection of schools and vulnerable communities.
He recalled that the commission was inaugurated on July 31, 2026, to establish how the attack occurred, examine the information available before and during the incident, assess the response of relevant institutions and determine whether intelligence, administrative or operational failures contributed to the incident.
While acknowledging the relief that followed the eventual return of the abducted students and teachers, Makinde said the incident had left lasting trauma for the victims and their families.
He said the government owed residents “answers, action and an honest account” of what needed to be done differently to prevent similar incidents.
Makinde also called for renewed efforts to secure the release of more than 40 children abducted in Niger State on the same day as the Oriire incident, noting that they had remained in captivity for 137 days.
The governor said the recommendations of the Oyo commission would be examined for implementation at various levels, with particular attention to school safety, community protection and a broader security reset.
