The Presidency has faulted Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over his call for a United Nations-led investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, describing the request as unnecessary and politically motivated.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Federal Government has no objection to an international investigation if the governor believes there are unanswered questions surrounding the incident.

“The governor has just expressed his opinion that the UN should probe this incident. Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained,” Onanuga said.

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He, however, questioned the basis of the governor’s demand, insisting that no security agency would deliberately allow schoolchildren to remain in captivity for 56 days.

“Look at those kids. Some of them are just about four or six years old. Will anyone want to deliberately subject them to the trauma they went through for 56 days?” he asked.

Onanuga noted that the rescue operation came at a huge cost, revealing that several security personnel, including soldiers and operatives of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, lost their lives during efforts to rescue the victims.

He also disclosed that one of the abducted teachers was killed while in captivity.

Describing the governor’s stance as politically motivated, the presidential spokesman accused Makinde, whom he referred to as a presidential aspirant, of lacking confidence in the country’s institutions.

“It is just unfortunate that Mr Makinde, maybe because of politics, because he is a presidential candidate now, doesn’t have any trust in our own institutions and is now calling on an external body to come and investigate,” he said.

Onanuga further dismissed the governor’s request as unnecessary, alleging that he was attempting to politicise the incident.

“The man is just playing politics, and it is the politics of the bizarre. He wants to weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory,” he added.

Governor Makinde had earlier called for a UN-backed investigation while receiving the 45 rescued pupils and teachers formally handed over to the Oyo State Government after spending 56 days in captivity.

According to the governor, the circumstances surrounding the abduction and rescue deserve independent international scrutiny.

“I therefore, with a full sense of responsibility as the Executive Governor of Oyo State, call on the appropriate international human rights and accountability mechanisms, including those within the United Nations system, to closely examine the facts surrounding this abduction and the circumstances of its resolution,” Makinde said.

He maintained that the request was not aimed at discrediting Nigerian institutions but at strengthening public confidence through transparency and accountability.

“This is not about politics. It is about justice for the victims, reassurance for our people, and restoring public confidence that every Nigerian child can go to school without fear,” the governor added.

Armed gunmen have reportedly abducted a 60-year-old headmaster of Nomadic Basic School, Igbojaye, in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, sparking concern among residents and the education community.

The victim, Mr. Matthew Kolawale Owoade, popularly known as “Onaiye,” was allegedly kidnapped on Saturday evening, July 11, 2026, while returning from a visit to his farm.

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According to his son, Mr. Abiola Owoade, the headmaster was intercepted by unidentified gunmen between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and taken to an unknown destination.

The kidnappers reportedly contacted the family shortly after the abduction using the victim’s mobile phone and demanded a ransom of N30 million for his release.

A search team later recovered Mr. Owoade’s motorcycle, which had been abandoned in a bush at about 8:20 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, raising further fears over his whereabouts.

The incident has thrown family members, colleagues, and residents of Itesiwaju Local Government into distress, with many calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the victim’s safe return.

They appealed to the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security agencies to act swiftly to rescue the headmaster and bring those responsible to justice.

The family also urged members of the public to provide any useful information that could aid security operatives in locating the abductors.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said security operatives had already commenced efforts to rescue the victim.

“I can confirm to you that a farmer, Mr. Owoade Mathew, was kidnapped at his farm in Budo Aare, and efforts are on to rescue the man unhurt and arrest the perpetrator,” Ayanlade said.

Police say investigations are ongoing as efforts continue to secure the safe and unconditional release of the abducted headmaster.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote is among the biggest beneficiaries of the disruption caused by the recent US-Iran conflict, with his $20bn refinery enjoying rising demand for refined petroleum products.

In a report published on Friday, the newspaper said Dangote was now reaping the rewards of the refinery after enduring years of delays and cost overruns that pushed the project’s cost to about $20bn.

“The huge refinery reached full capacity in February—just in time to supply the world with diesel, jet fuel and gasoline that doesn’t need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Surging demand for refined petroleum products has boosted Dangote’s wealth by some $4.86 billion since the start of the year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, bringing his net worth to about $34.8 billion.

“Dangote’s repeated bets on the rise of Africa’s middle class, from cement to sugar to salt, have helped the 69-year-old become the world’s 65th-wealthiest person,” the report read.

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It added that output from the refinery had risen by more than 70 per cent this year, driven by stronger demand for refined petroleum products.

The newspaper quoted Dangote Industries Group Vice-President, Devakumar Edwin, as saying the company plans to list the refinery on the Nigerian Exchange later this year, targeting a valuation of at least $50bn, while also pursuing a secondary listing, likely in New York.

According to the report, the energy market disruption triggered by the US-Iran conflict has benefited producers outside the Middle East, with Nigeria recording increased demand for its crude oil and refined petroleum products.

It added that the development had supported the naira and helped moderate domestic petrol prices.

Edwin also told the newspaper that demand for the refinery’s products had increased across sub-Saharan Africa, while exports of jet fuel to Europe had grown significantly this year.

He said the company plans to expand the refinery’s capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028, an investment expected to cost about $13bn.

The report stated that Dangote Industries is planning another refinery project in Lamu, Kenya, alongside a new port, with the project estimated to cost about $15bn and take about three years to complete.

However, the Wall Street Journal noted that securing sufficient local crude oil remains one of the refinery’s biggest challenges, saying the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has been unable to supply the volumes required because of existing export obligations and oil-backed loan commitments.

The report added that Dangote also plans to expand its distribution network by acquiring vessels, establishing a distribution hub in Namibia and constructing a pipeline to supply refined products to landlocked African countries, including Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.

Courtesy – The Punch