Retired General Backs Makinde’s Call For UN Oriire Probe

 

A retired two-star general, Ishola Williams, has backed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde’s call for an independent investigation into the abduction and eventual rescue of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Naija News reports that Williams said the governor’s demand was consistent with precedents established during earlier national security crises, particularly the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls.

He spoke on Friday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

The retired military officer said Makinde’s request for international scrutiny was neither unusual nor inappropriate.

He recalled that opposition leaders and other stakeholders called for international intervention during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan after the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted.

“Makinde is right in making that call. And why is he right? Everybody remembers that during the time of former President Goodluck Jonathan, when the Chibok girls were kidnapped, they were calling on everybody, international organisations and the rest,” Williams said.

He added that those who criticised Jonathan at the time had created a precedent that justified Makinde’s present position.

“And the President was the head of that opposition party, and he was criticising Jonathan like hell. Now, what comes around turns around. So, that’s what’s happening.

“So, in that way, Makinde is not doing anything that is new. He’s following a precedent,” he said.

Governor Cannot Formally Invite UN

Williams, however, noted that a state governor lacked the constitutional authority to formally invite the United Nations (UN) to investigate a security incident.

He suggested that Makinde could instead approach internationally recognised independent organisations capable of conducting credible inquiries.

“What I expected Makinde to do, even though he mentioned it, is to call Amnesty International, for example, that is well known all over the world for doing independent and thorough investigation of the sort of situation Oyo State found itself,” he said.

The retired general also questioned how armed men were able to abduct dozens of pupils and teachers without being detected or confronted.

He said the incident exposed significant weaknesses in Oyo State’s grassroots intelligence and internal security network.

According to him, officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Amotekun Corps, local intelligence structures and community leaders must explain how such a large-scale operation occurred unnoticed.

“In normal circumstances, or in a serious country, the SSA to Makinde could have been sacked. The committee here, too, has to be punished because that simple grassroots intelligence failed,” Williams said.

He queried how the attackers entered the community, seized their victims and moved them into the forest without attracting the attention of local security operatives or traditional authorities.

“For those kidnappers to be able to ride into his crew and just capture so many children and get them into the bush. How? Without Amotekun knowing? Without the village head knowing?” he asked.

‘Kidnappers Had Local Collaborators’

Williams argued that the abductors could not have carried out the operation successfully without assistance from people familiar with the area.

He maintained that accountability should extend beyond the suspected kidnappers to security officials and community leaders who failed to detect or prevent the attack.

The retired officer said local authorities should be held responsible whenever criminal groups repeatedly operate within their jurisdictions.

He said, “Somebody needs to tell community heads, if this sort of thing happens in your community again, you are in trouble.

“No more jokes with the communities because some communities and some villages must be making money, especially in a place like Katsina State.”

Williams also expressed doubt about aspects of the official account of the rescue operation.

He said the authorities should release more details so security experts can assess the operation and identify lessons to strengthen responses to similar incidents.

The retired general questioned the level of manpower, intelligence and resources deployed to secure the release of the Oriire victims.

He argued that applying similar capacity consistently in areas affected by insurgency could produce stronger results.

Williams said, “If they are using so much effort for the release of people, then you can imagine what they needed in the North-East to be able to deal with the problem of insurgency.

“And if the intelligence system has been working, like the one that they said the DSS has been bragging that they’ve been doing this, they’ve been doing that, why can’t they do the same thing in the North?”

Williams urged security agencies to devote greater attention and resources to tackling insurgency and repeated mass abductions in the northern part of the country.