The Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the abduction of 46 pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has called on members of the public to provide information that could help unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The appeal was contained in a statement released by the Oyo State Government on Tuesday as the commission begins a wider process of gathering evidence from individuals and organisations connected to the incident.
The panel has fixed Friday, August 14, 2026, as the deadline for the submission of memoranda from members of the public who have relevant information, documents or accounts that could assist the investigation.
The government said the commission was particularly interested in information concerning the abduction of pupils, students and teachers from the Esinele and Yawota communities, as well as the security situation surrounding the attack.
It also wants information on the actions taken by security agencies before the incident, their response when the attack occurred and measures adopted after the victims were taken away.
The commission’s invitation provides an opportunity for eyewitnesses, residents, community leaders, organisations and others with knowledge of the incident to formally present their accounts to the panel.
Those wishing to make submissions are required to include their full names and contact details.
They are also encouraged to attach any documents or other supporting materials that could help establish the accuracy of the information contained in their memoranda.
Physical copies of submissions can be delivered to the Conference Room, Office of the Head of Service, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
The commission has also made provision for electronic submissions through [email protected].
The government urged prospective contributors to ensure that their submissions reach the commission on or before the August 14 deadline.
The inquiry was established following the disturbing attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, 2026.
Armed men reportedly invaded the schools and abducted students and members of staff, triggering widespread anxiety among parents, residents and other stakeholders.
The affected institutions were Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele; Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; and L.A. Primary School.
In all, 39 students and seven teachers were taken away during the attack, bringing the number of people abducted to 46.
The victims subsequently spent 56 days in captivity before their eventual rescue in July.
The prolonged ordeal generated considerable concern in Oyo State, particularly among families and communities directly affected by the incident.
It also attracted national attention as security agencies intensified efforts to locate the victims and secure their release.
The rescue was later announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to Onanuga, the victims were recovered by security agencies without the government making any concession to the abductors.
Although the safe recovery of the pupils and teachers brought relief to their families and communities, questions remained about the circumstances that allowed the attackers to carry out the operation and keep the victims in captivity for almost two months.
Those concerns eventually led to the decision of the Oyo State Government to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
Governor Seyi Makinde had called for an independent examination of the incident after the victims were rescued, paving the way for the current investigation.
The commission is expected to look beyond the actual abduction and examine the wider circumstances surrounding the incident.
Among other things, it will consider information about the affected communities, the schools where the attack occurred and the circumstances leading up to the abduction.
The panel is also expected to scrutinise the security arrangements that existed before the attack and determine how authorities responded when the incident took place.
Its investigation will further cover developments after the abduction, including efforts made to locate and rescue the victims.
The public invitation for memoranda is therefore an important stage in the commission’s attempt to obtain first-hand accounts and documentary evidence that may help establish a detailed sequence of events.
Information supplied by people who witnessed the incident or had direct knowledge of developments in the affected communities could assist the panel in identifying gaps, clarifying conflicting accounts and establishing the facts.
The commission may also benefit from evidence relating to security warnings, movements around the affected communities and other circumstances that could provide a better understanding of how the attack unfolded.
The government did not limit the invitation to residents of Oriire alone. Anyone who has credible information or documentation capable of assisting the commission has been encouraged to make a submission.
Officials stressed the importance of providing accurate information, particularly where documents or other evidence are available to support the claims being made.
The inquiry comes amid continuing concerns about the safety of schools and communities in parts of Oyo State and the need to strengthen security measures around vulnerable locations.
For families affected by the Oriire incident, the investigation is expected to provide greater clarity on what happened and how the attack was handled from the period before the abduction until the eventual rescue of the victims.
The panel’s findings could also provide useful recommendations on how similar incidents can be prevented and how authorities can respond more effectively if security threats arise in the future.
The state government said it remained committed to protecting residents and communities across Oyo State.
It consequently urged anyone with useful information about the Oriire abduction not to withhold it, but to submit such evidence to the commission within the stipulated period.
With the deadline approaching, the government is encouraging individuals and organisations with relevant accounts or documents to take advantage of the public call for memoranda.
The information gathered through the process will form part of the material available to the commission as it works to reconstruct the events surrounding the abduction of the 46 pupils and teachers and assess the security response before, during and after the attack.