Makinde Links Oyo School Abduction to His Presidential Bid Timing

Makinde Says Oyo’s First School Abduction Came Hours After His Presidential Declaration

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has claimed that his state went seven years without a school abduction under his watch, only for one to occur the morning after he publicly announced his presidential ambition. He made the remarks during a meeting with Bala Mohammed and leaders of the APM in Bauchi State, according to reports.

“I Declared at 4 p.m., by 9 a.m. Children Were Abducted”

Addressing the gathering, Makinde pointed to the timing of the incident as striking. “For seven years as Oyo State governor, we did not witness such an incident in my state. I declared to run for the presidency at 4 p.m., and by 9 a.m. the following morning, children were abducted in Oyo State,” he said.

The governor was referencing the kidnapping of schoolchildren and their teachers in the Ahoro-Esiele community, located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State — reportedly the first major incident of its kind in the state during his tenure.

Notably, Makinde offered no evidence connecting the abduction to his political announcement, and his comments have since fuelled public debate about the security situation in Oyo and the circumstances surrounding the attack. A video of his remarks, shared in a post online on 10 July 2026, quickly gained traction on social media.

Security Records and the Politics of a Presidential Run

School abductions have been among Nigeria’s most emotionally charged security concerns, and any governor’s record on preventing them is often held up as a measure of competence. Makinde’s decision to highlight his state’s previously clean record — and to tie the breach so directly to his declaration — places the incident squarely within the political conversation around his presidential bid.

Remarks of this nature typically draw sharp scrutiny. Supporters may read them as a suggestion of politically motivated sabotage, while critics tend to demand proof before such implications are entertained. With no evidence presented, the claim remains a talking point rather than an established fact, and attention is likely to stay on how authorities respond to the Oriire abduction itself.

For now, the episode has amplified both the security debate in Oyo State and the wider discussion surrounding Makinde’s entry into the presidential race.

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‘Big Relief,’ Gov Makinde Hails Security Agencies For Release Of Abducted Oyo Schoolchildren, Teachers Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has welcomed the release of the schoolchildren and teachers who were kidnapped by suspected bandits in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, describing it as a ‘big relief’. https://t.co/vsCIWPBAHC

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