Oyo State Government has called for memoranda from members of the public to assist the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
The development came as the Department of State Services (DSS) released a carpenter, Mustapha Marwana, who had been arrested during investigations into the abduction and killing of pupils and teachers in the area.
The state government, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the commission was seeking relevant information on the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the security response before, during and after the attack.
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It urged community leaders, residents, civil society organisations, security agencies and other stakeholders with useful information to submit memoranda to the commission.
According to the government, the submissions would assist the panel in establishing the facts surrounding the incident and making recommendations capable of preventing a recurrence.
The government said the inquiry was part of broader efforts to address growing concerns over the safety of pupils, teachers and residents in rural communities, particularly in areas bordering other states.
It said the commission would undertake a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the abduction and assess the response of relevant authorities before, during and after the incident.
The government added that the outcome of the inquiry would guide policy decisions aimed at strengthening security around schools and communities across the state.
The commission is expected to sit in Ibadan, with the possibility of holding sessions in Oriire Local Government Area to enable residents and other stakeholders to interact directly with the panel.
Meanwhile, the DSS has released Marwana after investigators reportedly found no evidence linking him to the attack.
The Director-General of the service, Tosin Ajayi, was said to have ordered the carpenter’s unconditional release after investigators cleared him of involvement in the planning or execution of the attack.
According to findings from the investigation, Marwana, who hails from Katsina State, was not a member of any terrorist organisation and had no operational relationship with Ansaru, the terrorist group authorities have associated with the Oriire attack.
Marwana was reportedly arrested by DSS operatives during investigations aimed at identifying individuals who might have links to the perpetrators of the attack.
His arrest formed part of a wider intelligence operation following the abduction of the pupils and teachers in the northern part of Oyo State, particularly around the Oyo-Kwara border axis.
He was subsequently subjected to questioning while investigators examined his communications, movements and associations as part of efforts to establish possible links to the incident.
However, after weeks of investigation, the security agency reportedly found no evidence connecting him to the abduction or killings.
A senior DSS official, who confirmed the development, said the service would continue to ensure that innocent persons were not punished for crimes they did not commit.
The official said: “Our priority remains to ensure that innocent citizens are not unduly punished while efforts to apprehend the actual perpetrators continue.”
The official added that arrests would be based on credible intelligence and evidence, while persons cleared of wrongdoing would be released.
The DSS also appealed to members of the public to provide useful information that could assist security agencies in identifying and apprehending those responsible for the attack.
The abduction and killing of pupils and teachers in Esinele and Yawota had generated widespread concern over the safety of schools in rural communities and renewed calls for stronger intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response mechanisms.
The incident has also intensified demands from residents and community leaders in Oriire for increased security patrols and improved intelligence-sharing between communities and security agencies.
Against this backdrop, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry is expected to examine not only the circumstances of the abduction but also the adequacy of the security response and possible institutional or operational gaps that may have contributed to the incident.
The commission’s findings are expected to provide recommendations on how to strengthen the protection of schools, teachers and pupils and prevent similar attacks in Oyo State and other vulnerable communities.
With Marwana’s release, attention has now shifted to the commission’s investigation and ongoing security operations to identify and apprehend those responsible for the Oriire attack.
The state government said the inquiry and the memoranda submitted by members of the public would help establish the facts and support measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur.