Oyo: Extends Same Urgency To Borno, Kwara Captives – ADC Tells FG

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Federal Government to deploy the same urgency, intelligence and operational commitment that led to the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State to securing the freedom of victims still held by kidnappers in Borno and Kwara states.

The opposition party warned the government against adopting what it described as a selective approach to rescue operations, insisting that every kidnapped Nigerian deserved equal attention, regardless of location or public interest surrounding the case.

Naija News reports that in a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC welcomed the release of the pupils, teachers and other victims abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after 56 days in captivity.

The party congratulated the victims and their families, describing their return as a relief after weeks of anxiety and trauma.

“We commend the security agencies and all those whose efforts made this rescue possible. Most importantly, we rejoice with the families whose long traumatic wait for the safe return of the victims has finally come to an end,” the ADC said.

The party, however, said the successful rescue operation in Oyo State should not overshadow the plight of Nigerians who had remained in captivity for months in other parts of the country.

It specifically drew attention to pupils abducted in Borno State in May and more than 100 persons reportedly kidnapped in Kaiama, Kwara State, who had yet to regain their freedom.

“The pupils abducted in Borno State in May this year remain in captivity, while more than 100 people kidnapped in Kaiama, Kwara State, are still in the den of kidnappers several months after.

“We believe that the suffering of these victims deserves the same urgency, determination as well as the national and international attention that brought the Oriire victims home,” the statement added.

The ADC maintained that the lives and safety of victims in Borno and Kwara were no less important than those of the rescued Oyo abductees.

It called on the government and security agencies to sustain the momentum generated by the Oriire operation until every Nigerian held by criminal groups had been rescued.

‘Rescue Operations Not True Measure Of Success’

The opposition party said that although every successful rescue deserved celebration, such operations should not become the standard for measuring the government’s performance in the security sector.

According to the party, the primary responsibility of government is to prevent citizens from being kidnapped rather than repeatedly celebrating their release after weeks or months in captivity.

“Every successful rescue is worth celebrating. But every kidnapping is also a reminder that the primary duty of government is to ensure that citizens are not abducted in the first place.

“What we must not do is to get accustomed to measuring success by the number of rescue operations this government conducts,” the ADC stated.

It argued that the real test of an effective security system was the creation of an environment in which parents could send their children to school without fear and travellers could move safely on the highways.

The party added that citizens should also be able to carry out their daily activities without constantly fearing that they could be abducted by criminal gangs.

Kidnapping Threatens Economy, Public Confidence

The ADC expressed concern that kidnapping and other forms of insecurity had increasingly become recurring features of daily life under the current administration.

It warned that persistent abductions were eroding public confidence in the government and slowing the country’s prospects for sustainable economic development.

“We cannot achieve meaningful economic growth, attract investment or build public confidence while kidnapping remains a recurring feature of national life,” the party said.

According to the ADC, local and foreign investors would be reluctant to commit resources to communities where the safety of workers, businesses and infrastructure could not be guaranteed.

It said the continued targeting of schools, travellers and rural communities had deepened fear among Nigerians and disrupted education, agriculture, commerce and transportation.

The party called on the Federal Government to deploy “the same resolve, intelligence and operational capacity” used in securing the release of the Oriire victims to rescue Nigerians still being held across the country.

It also urged the government to move away from what it described as reactive responses to kidnapping by developing a comprehensive and preventive security framework.

The party called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger collaboration among security agencies and increased government presence in communities considered vulnerable to attacks.

It urged the authorities to address the underlying causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, weak policing and the absence of effective governance in remote communities.

The statement added that the government must ensure better coordination among the military, police, intelligence agencies and local security structures to identify threats before kidnappers strike.

The ADC said, “The government must move beyond reactive responses by adopting a comprehensive security strategy focused on improving intelligence gathering, strengthening inter-agency collaboration, addressing the root causes of insecurity and restoring effective state presence in vulnerable communities.”

‘National Effort Remains Incomplete’

The party concluded that although the return of the Oriire victims was worthy of celebration, the country’s rescue efforts would remain incomplete as long as other abducted Nigerians remained in captivity.

It maintained that all victims and their families deserved the same national attention, determination and support that followed the Oyo school abduction.

Kidnapping for ransom has remained one of Nigeria’s major security challenges, with schools, highways and rural communities frequently targeted by armed gangs.

The abduction of schoolchildren has particularly attracted domestic and international condemnation, recalling previous mass kidnappings in Borno, Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states.

Although security agencies have recorded successful rescue operations in some cases, many victims have remained in captivity for prolonged periods, while fresh abductions continue to occur in different parts of the country.

The rescue of the Oriire pupils and teachers after 56 days has been widely welcomed, but it has also renewed attention on the pupils still held in Borno, and the more than 100 persons reportedly abducted in Kaiama, Kwara State, whose families continue to await their safe return.