Olu Allen
The public conversation surrounding Governor Seyi Makinde’s call for the United Nations and international human rights organisations to examine the Oriire school abduction has largely revolved around politics.
Some see it as a vote of no confidence in the Federal Government; others dismiss it as political theatre.
Perhaps we are asking the wrong question.
The more pressing issue is not why Governor Makinde requested an independent review. The real question is why dozens of pupils and teachers were able to remain in captivity for 56 days in the first place before they were eventually rescued.
The operation that secured their freedom has rightly been described as a coordinated effort involving the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, DSS, the Office of the National Security Adviser, Amotekun, local hunters, and vigilantes.
Every officer and civilian who contributed to bringing the victims home deserves recognition. Every rescued child is a victory worth celebrating.
But celebration should never replace reflection.
If it required virtually every layer of Nigeria’s security architecture to recover a group of kidnapped schoolchildren, what does that reveal about our ability to prevent such incidents before they occur?
This is not a criticism of the rescue operation. It is a question about the system that made the rescue necessary.
Security is measured not only by how effectively a nation responds to crime, but by how successfully it prevents crime from occurring.
A successful rescue is commendable. Preventing the abduction altogether would have been even better.
Governor Makinde’s request for independent scrutiny should therefore not be viewed solely through a partisan lens.
Whether one agrees with his decision or not, it should prompt a broader national conversation about transparency, accountability, and institutional learning after major security failures.
Rather than debating political motives, Nigerians should be demanding answers to questions that affect every community:
- How did the abductors successfully carry out the operation?
- Were there prior intelligence warnings?
- If warnings existed, were they acted upon?
- What operational gaps allowed the victims to remain in captivity for nearly two months?
- What reforms have been introduced to ensure another school does not endure the same tragedy?
These are not opposition questions or government questions. They are public-interest questions.
A mature democracy does not weaken itself by asking difficult questions after a crisis. It strengthens itself by honestly answering them.
The success of the rescue deserves commendation. The failure that made the rescue necessary deserves investigation. Both truths can exist at the same time.
The real measure of national security is not how many hostages we rescue after fifty-six days. It is how few citizens ever become hostages in the first place.
That is the conversation Nigeria should be having.
Allen writes on public affairs and advocates for good governance.
