Nigeria: Fayose alleges Oyo abduction was orchestrated to blackmail Tinubu
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has accused the Oyo State Government of orchestrating the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in parts of the state as part of an alleged plot to embarrass President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fayose made the claim during a televised appearance on June 2, 2026, where he questioned the Oyo State Government’s handling of the kidnapping incident and suggested that political motives may have influenced its response.
The allegation comes days after gunmen kidnapped pupils and teachers in several local government areas of Oyo State on Friday, May 30. The incident drew national attention and triggered a swift response from the Federal Government. President Tinubu dispatched a high-powered delegation to the affected communities and publicly assured residents that security agencies were working to secure the release of the victims.
Reacting to the abduction and the Federal Government’s intervention, Fayose argued that primary responsibility for managing local security crises rests with state governments, not the presidency.
“Let me branch to Oyo State,” Fayose said during the programme. “Before you get to the president in the hierarchy of leadership and governance, there is local government, there is state. The state has security votes and there are people that are supposed to be working.”
He maintained that governors control significant security resources and should be the first line of response when incidents occur within their jurisdictions.
Fayose went further to question the timing of Governor Seyi Makinde’s actions following the kidnapping. He alleged that Makinde prioritized internal party activities over immediate crisis management.
“In Oyo State, I strongly believe, though I might be wrong, that this sometimes might be orchestrated,” Fayose stated. “The governor of Oyo State had his nomination and that of his candidates in the face of this abduction. He did not take any action, no steps were taken. It was after those nominations that he went to the families to visit them.”
The former governor was referring to recent Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, activities in Oyo State where Makinde, who leads the party in the state, supervised the nomination of candidates for upcoming local elections. Fayose suggested that the governor’s public engagements during the period of the abduction showed a misplaced set of priorities.
Fayose then made his most explosive claim, alleging that the abduction itself may have been deliberately arranged to put the Federal Government in a bad light.
“I sometimes believe that the abduction at Oyo School was orchestrated by the Oyo State Government to blackmail President Tinubu,” he said.
He did not provide evidence to support the allegation during the interview. As of the time of filing this report, Governor Makinde and the Oyo State Government had not issued an official response to Fayose’s claims.
The kidnapping of students and teachers in Oyo State occurred on May 30, 2026, in multiple communities. Gunmen stormed schools and surrounding areas, taking an unspecified number of pupils and educators. The incident added to growing concerns about school security across Nigeria, particularly in states where banditry and kidnapping have become recurring threats.
Following the abduction, President Tinubu directed security agencies to intensify rescue operations and sent a federal delegation to engage with community leaders and families of the victims. The presidency also reiterated its commitment to protecting schools and ending the cycle of abductions targeting educational institutions.
Fayose’s comments have reignited debate over the division of security responsibilities between federal and state governments in Nigeria. While policing remains largely under federal control, governors are often criticized for failing to utilize state resources, intelligence networks, and security votes effectively to prevent or respond to local threats.
Security analysts have repeatedly called for stronger coordination between state and federal authorities, as well as improved protection for schools in vulnerable areas. The Oyo incident has renewed those calls, with stakeholders urging both state governments and the federal government to prioritize the safety of students and teachers.
Fayose’s allegation is likely to draw reactions from political actors in Oyo State and at the national level. Accusing a sitting governor of orchestrating a kidnapping is a serious charge, and the lack of immediate response from the Makinde administration means the issue may dominate political discourse in the coming days.
For now, the focus of security agencies remains on securing the release of the abducted students and teachers, while the political class debates accountability and responsibility in the wake of the crisis.
