The rescue of 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State after 56 days in captivity has intensified calls on President Bola Tinubu and security agencies to launch similar operations to free hundreds of other Nigerians still being held by terrorists and kidnappers across the country.
Families of abducted victims, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), religious and community leaders, as well as opposition politicians, urged the Federal Government to replicate the intelligence-led operation that secured the release of the Oyo victims in states including Borno, Kwara and Kaduna, where scores of abductees have remained in captivity for months.
The renewed appeals followed Friday’s announcement that all the pupils and teachers abducted during coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on 15 May had been rescued without the payment of ransom.
Security agencies said the operation was jointly carried out by the military, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, describing it as an intelligence-led mission. The rescue has been widely praised as evidence that coordinated security operations can yield results when supported by effective intelligence and political commitment.
However, while many Nigerians welcomed the development, attention quickly shifted to other victims who remain in captivity across the country.
Families in Borno seek similar intervention
In Borno State, where 78 students remain in captivity following separate Boko Haram attacks on schools in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, relatives said the Oyo rescue had renewed their hope but also heightened their frustration over the lack of progress in securing the release of their children.
On 15 May, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, abducting 42 pupils. On 29 June, gunmen struck Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, abducting 36 students and a teacher.
Speaking on behalf of affected families, Ibrahim Millam, whose daughter Esther was among those abducted in Lassa, said parents had received no meaningful information from the authorities since the attack.
“Since they took my daughter and her fellow students, we have not received any information. It has been silence,” he said.
Millam commended the government for rescuing the Oyo victims but appealed for similar efforts in Borno.
“Our children should not be allowed to die in captivity. They are our hope. We are not at peace in our homes,” he added.
Another resident, Sani Abdullahi, said many families were losing hope after nearly two months.
“If you visit the families now, it is tears upon tears. We have held meetings and appealed to the authorities, but all we receive are assurances,” he said.
Northern groups urge nationwide action
The Arewa Consultative Forum welcomed the rescue of the Oyo pupils and teachers but said it should mark the beginning of a sustained nationwide campaign against kidnapping.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, congratulated the rescued victims and their families while urging the Federal Government to secure the release of all Nigerians still in captivity.
“No citizen ought to be subjected to such evil, and the Federal Government has a duty to eliminate this scourge across the country without selective attention,” he said.
The Northern Elders Forum also called for greater urgency in rescuing those still being held by kidnappers.
Its spokesman, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, argued that the successful operation in Oyo should not distract from what he described as broader failures to prevent abductions.
“The government should have prevented the abduction of schoolchildren in the first place. Why should children be kidnapped?” he asked, maintaining that the forum’s position on the country’s security situation remained unchanged.
Kwara communities appeal for rescue mission
The Oyo operation also renewed attention on the fate of 176 women and children abducted from Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State during attacks in February.
The terrorists reportedly killed more than 200 residents, destroyed homes and public facilities, and displaced thousands. Videos later released by the attackers showed the captives in forest camps under harsh conditions.
Community representatives said little progress had been made towards securing their release despite the deployment of additional troops to Kwara North.
Speaking on behalf of residents, Comrade M.Z. Shero appealed to President Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to launch a coordinated rescue operation.
“We know the government has the capacity and resources to rescue our people. Every hour counts. Every life matters,” he said.
Another community leader, Usman Zakari, said the successful operation in Oyo had restored hope.
“Everybody in Kaiama was excited by the news. It reignited our hope that our people will also be rescued,” he said.
The Chief Imam of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Dr Sanusi Lafiagi, also urged the Federal Government to secure the release of those still in captivity.
“We cannot afford another Chibok or Dapchi experience,” he warned.
Kaduna families fear for abductees
In Kaduna State, families of worshippers abducted during Easter Sunday attacks on churches in Ariko Community, Kachia Local Government Area, said they feared some captives had died.
Village Head Joshua Doka said the last proof of life came through an audio message in which one of the abductees claimed some captives had died from hunger, illness and harsh conditions.
He said the kidnappers continued to demand ₦1 billion and 35 motorcycles as ransom.
“We are pleading with the Federal Government, the Kaduna State Government and the security agencies to rescue our people before more lives are lost,” Doka said.
Analysts call for consistent security strategy
Public affairs analyst Abubakar Kareto described the Oyo rescue as a significant achievement but urged the government to replicate the same intelligence-led approach elsewhere.
“While celebrating the rescue in the South-West, let us not forget that students abducted in Borno during their NECO examinations are still in captivity,” he said.
He called for stronger intelligence-sharing and more proactive implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.
The President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, warned that the group would organise peaceful protests if the abducted students were not rescued within weeks.
ADC warns against selective attention
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also welcomed the rescue of the Oyo victims but cautioned against what it described as selective rescue efforts.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said victims in Borno and Kwara deserved the same urgency and determination.
“Every successful rescue deserves celebration. But every kidnapping is also a reminder that the primary responsibility of government is to prevent citizens from being abducted in the first place,” the statement said.
The party argued that Nigeria’s success against insecurity should ultimately be measured by the safety of its citizens rather than the number of rescue operations conducted.
Presidency defends security efforts
Responding to the growing calls, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said President Tinubu had directed security and intelligence agencies to secure the release of every Nigerian still in captivity, regardless of location.
“The President has directed the security and intelligence agencies to rescue every Nigerian who is in captivity, whether in the North-East, North-West, South-East or South-West, and that is happening every day,” Ajayi said.
He added that the military, DSS and police were conducting regular rescue operations and insisted there was no regional bias in the government’s response.
“There is no ethnic colouration to this. The President is the President of the country, and every life is important to him,” he said.
