Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, saying he would have taken direct charge of efforts to rescue the victims.

Obi said that if he were President, he would have personally led security operations to the forest where the victims were held and ensured the mission continued until everyone was rescued.

He made the remarks during an interview on State of the Nation with Peter Obi on Afia TV’s Eastern Eye, hosted by Alex Ogbodo and aired live on Thursday, while discussing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

The Oriire abduction occurred on May 15, 2026, when dozens of pupils and teachers were kidnapped from a school in Oyo State. The victims remained in captivity for about 56 days before they were rescued by security operatives in July.
Using the incident to highlight what he described as a leadership failure, Obi alleged that President Tinubu did not personally contact Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde throughout the period the victims were held captive.

He said, “Days of kidnap of Oyo children. The President did not call the governor. What do you mean? Fifty days.
“But I’ll be there in two days. Is the bush not in Nigeria? That bush they went in. The bush is in Nigeria.

“Everybody in that bush will come out. Everybody. There might be casualties but everybody will come out.”
Obi argued that major security emergencies require decisive leadership and swift action, insisting that political leaders should not delay responding to mass kidnappings.

He also criticised what he described as the secrecy surrounding security operations in Nigeria, saying the public is rarely shown the outcomes of successful operations against criminal groups.

“And it is time when we say we resolve something. We arrest some people. Parade the people. Let people see them. What is happening?
“When America or other countries kill people like that, they parade them. They show it. Everybody sees it.

“In Nigeria, everything is shrouded in secrecy,” he said.
Reflecting on his time as governor of Anambra State, Obi said he adopted a hands-on approach to security by confronting criminal groups operating in forests across the state after discussions with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He added that effective leadership requires accountability and a clear command structure.
“No way. It’s either I’m in charge or you people are in charge. I go home. One person must be in charge.

“And if you’re in charge, if you want to lead, you should be ready to die. If you don’t want to, you go home. One must be in charge,” Obi added.

His comments come amid ongoing debate over Nigeria’s security situation and the responsibility of political leaders in responding to mass abductions and violent crimes.

Earlier, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde called on the United Nations and other international accountability bodies to investigate the Oriire school abduction following the rescue of the victims.

Makinde said an independent international investigation would help establish the facts surrounding the incident, identify any institutional failures or collusion, ensure accountability and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.