By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged President Bola Tinubu to replicate the security strategy that secured the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State in efforts to free hundreds of other Nigerians still being held by kidnappers across the country.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the successful rescue operation in Oyo should become the benchmark for responding to kidnapping cases nationwide, regardless of where the victims come from.
The party was reacting to President Tinubu’s remarks while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he disclosed that his administration rejected negotiations with the abductors and instead relied on intelligence-driven security operations that ultimately secured the victims’ release.
According to the ADC, every Nigerian should welcome the successful operation, describing every rescued life as a victory for the country and every reunited family as a cause for celebration.
However, the party argued that the success of the operation raised important questions about why similar strategies had not been deployed to rescue other victims who have remained in captivity for much longer.
The ADC cited the continued captivity of hundreds of abductees in Kwara State, as well as victims in Borno, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Benue and other states, saying many families continue to live in uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones.
It said the government must demonstrate the same determination shown in the Oyo rescue by extending similar intelligence, surveillance and operational efforts to all parts of the country.
“The President told the kidnappers in Oriire, ‘No deal.’ He must demonstrate equal resolve and give real hope to families still waiting for the return of their loved ones that the government has not forgotten them,” the party said.
The ADC maintained that the Oriire rescue should not be regarded as an isolated success but as the standard by which the government’s response to kidnapping is measured nationwide.
The party further argued that the true measure of government performance on security should not be isolated rescue operations but its ability to prevent kidnappings and ensure that every Nigerian, irrespective of location, can expect an effective response when such incidents occur.
The opposition party urged President Tinubu to immediately deploy the same intelligence capabilities and operational determination used in the Oyo operation to secure the release of victims still being held in Kwara, Borno and other parts of the country.
“No family should have to wonder whether the urgency of government depends on where tragedy happens,” the statement concluded.
