The President Bola Tinubu administration has given fresh assurances that all kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers who are currently in the captivity of terrorists will be safely rescued.
The assurance, which was given on Thursday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at a press conference in Abuja, disclosed that the government has declared the safe return of all the children and teachers as a national priority.
According to him, the government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the abducted schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno States are released and safely returned home.
Idris stated that President Tinubu “has made it clear that no child belongs in captivity and that no effort will be spared in ensuring that those responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to justice”.
The Minister disclosed that the President has approved the deployment of every resource at the government’s disposal, including a specialised rescue team, to rescue the victims.
He added that while operational details can’t be disclosed for security reasons, multiple security and intelligence agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Office of the National Security Adviser, and the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), are working in close coordination.
Speaking on the Borno incident, the Minister said it bears the familiar signature of terrorist groups that have for years sought to undermine education and destabilise communities in the North-East.
He added that the administration is not merely deploying forces but is adopting “a comprehensive, intelligence-led approach to national security, combined with an ongoing and long-overdue overhaul of the nation’s security architecture”.
The Minister stated that one of the pillars of President Tinubu’s administration is the determination to implement state policing, adding that the president wants to leave a restructured policing system that is dynamic, flexible, and fit-for-purpose, as one of his legacies.
