Oyo Seeks Public Memoranda On Oriire School Abduction As DSS Releases Cleared Suspect
The Oyo State Government has called for public memoranda to assist the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the abduction and killing of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The call was contained in a statement issued by the state government on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the commission is seeking relevant information on the abduction of pupils and teachers in Esinele and Yawota communities, as well as details of the security response before, during and after the incident.
The government said the submissions would help the commission establish the facts surrounding the incident and make recommendations aimed at preventing a recurrence.
Members of the public, community leaders, civil society organisations, security agencies and other stakeholders with relevant information have been encouraged to submit memoranda to the commission.
Details on where and how to submit the memoranda are expected to be provided by the Secretary of the Commission.
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry was inaugurated following widespread concern over the safety of pupils, teachers and residents in the affected communities. The panel is expected to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack and examine the events leading up to, during and after the incident.
The commission is expected to sit in Ibadan and may also hold sessions in Oriire Local Government Area to enable direct interaction with residents and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services has released a carpenter, Mustapha Marwana, who was arrested in connection with the abduction and killing of pupils and teachers in the area.
The Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, reportedly ordered Marwana’s unconditional release after investigators found no evidence linking him to the attack.
According to findings from the investigation, Marwana, a Katsina-born artisan, was not a member of any terrorist organisation and had no operational links with Ansaru, the terrorist group authorities have associated with the incident.
Marwana was arrested by DSS operatives during investigations into the attack as security agencies intensified efforts to identify individuals who might have links to extremist networks operating around the Oyo-Kwara border area.
He was subsequently held for questioning while investigators examined his communications, movements and associations in connection with the incident.
Following weeks of investigation, authorities concluded that there was no evidence that Marwana was involved in planning or executing the abduction and killings.
A senior DSS official, who confirmed the development, said the service remained committed to ensuring that innocent citizens were not unduly punished while efforts continued to apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The abduction and killing of pupils and teachers in Esinele and Yawota communities sparked outrage across Oyo State and renewed calls for stronger security measures around rural schools.
Community leaders in Oriire have also called for increased security patrols and improved intelligence-sharing between residents and security agencies.
The DSS reiterated that arrests would be based on credible intelligence and that individuals found not to be culpable would be released promptly.
The service also urged members of the public to provide useful information that could assist security agencies in identifying and apprehending those responsible for the attack.
With Marwana’s release, attention is now focused on the Judicial Commission of Inquiry and ongoing security operations to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the Oriire abduction.
The state government said the outcome of the inquiry would guide policy decisions aimed at strengthening security in schools and communities across Oyo State.
