The rescue of 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State after 56 days in captivity has sparked fresh pressure on President Bola Tinubu and security agencies to launch similar operations to free hundreds of other schoolchildren, women and other Nigerians still being held by terrorists across the country.

Families of abducted victims, Northern Elders Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, religious and community leaders, and opposition politicians urged the Federal Government to replicate the intelligence-led operation that secured the release of the Oyo victims in Borno, Kwara, Kaduna and other states, where scores of victims have remained in captivity for months.

The renewed calls followed Friday’s announcement by security agencies that all the schoolchildren and teachers abducted during coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15 had regained their freedom without the payment of ransom.

The operation, described by security authorities as intelligence-led and jointly executed by the military, the Department of State Services and the police, has been widely hailed as evidence that coordinated security efforts can deliver results when backed by political will and effective intelligence.

But even as Nigerians celebrated the breakthrough, attention quickly shifted to dozens of other abducted victims across the country whose families say they are still waiting for their safe return.

Borno victims’ families plead for equal attention

In Borno State, where 78 students remain in captivity following separate Boko Haram attacks on schools in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, parents said the Oyo rescue had rekindled hope but also deepened their frustration over what they described as prolonged silence regarding their children’s fate.

On May 15, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, abducting 42 pupils.

Barely six weeks later, on June 29, terrorists again invaded Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in the same local government area, abducting 36 students and a teacher.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on behalf of the affected families, Ibrahim Millam, whose daughter, Esther Ibrahim, is among the students abducted in Lassa, said the parents had received no meaningful update from the authorities since the attack.

He said the prolonged silence from security agencies had left the families devastated.

“Since they took my daughter, Esther, and her fellow students, we have not received any information.

“It has been silence; no information about their whereabouts. We commend the Federal Government for rescuing the Oyo students. Please, our children should not be allowed to die in captivity. They are our hope. We are not at peace in our homes,” Millam said.

Another resident of the Mussa community, Sani Abdullahi, told Sunday PUNCH that the continued captivity of the pupils had thrown many families into emotional turmoil.

“It is unfortunate that our children are still in captivity after almost two months. Parents are losing hope. If you visit the families now, it is tears upon tears.

“As a community, we don’t even know where to start anymore or who will come to our aid,” he said.

According to him, community leaders had repeatedly reached out to the relevant authorities without tangible results.

“We have held meetings and sent our pleas through representatives to the government, yet there has been continued silence. All we get is assurance. When are they coming back?” Abdullahi asked.

Rescue all abductees – ACF, NEF

The Arewa Consultative Forum, on its part, urged Tinubu to intensify efforts to secure the release of all Nigerians still in captivity across the country, saying the successful rescue of abducted Oyo pupils and teachers should mark the beginning of a sustained nationwide campaign against kidnappers.

The northern socio-political organisation said that while it welcomed the freedom of the Oyo victims, thousands of families in Borno, Kaduna, Kwara, Zamfara and other states were still anxiously awaiting the return of their loved ones.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Prof Tukur Muhammad-Baba, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, described the operation as a source of joy and relief, congratulating the rescued pupils, their parents, guardians and communities.

“The Arewa Consultative Forum heartily welcomes the successful rescue of the Oyo State schoolchildren and their teachers. We rejoice with the pupils, their parents and guardians, as well as their communities,” he said.

The ACF, however, challenged the Federal Government to replicate the same determination in rescuing other abductees across the country.

“We fervently appeal to the President Bola Tinubu administration, the security forces and all concerned authorities to ensure the release of all persons still in captivity across states, including Borno, Kaduna, Kwara, Zamfara and every other state where innocent citizens are being subjected to torture arising from their illegal abduction.

“No citizen ought to be subjected to such evil, and the Federal Government, alongside other levels of government, has a sacred duty to tirelessly eliminate this scourge across the country without lopsided attention,” Muhammad-Baba stated.

Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof Abubakar Jiddere, criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, saying the successful rescue of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and teachers should not obscure what he described as the government’s failure to prevent such kidnappings in the first place.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, he urged the Federal Government to deploy the same level of urgency and operational commitment that secured the release of the Oyo victims towards rescuing schoolchildren and others still being held by kidnappers, including those abducted in Borno State.

Jiddere stressed that no child should have to endure the trauma of abduction if adequate security measures were in place.

“The government should have prevented the abduction of schoolchildren in the first instance. If the government can provide adequate security, nobody should be subjected to kidnapping, abduction or killing. I don’t know why the government is celebrating. Why should children be kidnapped?” he asked.

The NEF spokesman maintained that the forum’s position on the country’s security situation remained unchanged.

“Our position on insecurity has not changed. The government has woefully failed the schoolchildren and others still in captivity,” Jiddere added.

‘If Oyo could do it, why not Kwara?’

The rescue in Oyo also drew attention to the fate of the 176 women and children abducted from Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State during one of the deadliest terrorist attacks recorded in the state earlier this year.

Between February 3 and 4, heavily armed terrorists invaded the communities, reportedly killing more than 200 residents, burning homes, markets and public buildings, and displacing thousands.

Subsequent videos released by the terrorists showed the captives being held under harsh conditions in a forest, while later messages threatened their execution if certain demands were not met.

Although President Bola Tinubu later approved the deployment of additional troops and specialised tactical teams to Kwara North, relatives of the victims say little progress has been made towards securing their freedom nearly six months after the attack.

In an appeal signed on behalf of residents of Kaiama, Woro and Yashikira Emirate, Comrade M.Z. Shero urged the President, the National Security Adviser, the Kwara State Government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and security agencies to immediately launch a coordinated rescue mission.

“Our hearts are heavy as we await news of 176 innocent citizens currently in captivity from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area and 11 members of a family from Yashikira Emirate.

“We know the government has the capacity and resources to rescue our people. Every hour counts. Every life matters,” he stated.

A stakeholder from Kaiama, Comrade Usman Zakari, said residents celebrated the Oyo rescue because it restored hope that their loved ones could also regain their freedom.

“Everybody in Kaiama community was excited by the news. It reignited our hope that our people will also be rescued from captivity.”

He urged the Kwara State Government to strengthen collaboration with the Federal Government and security agencies.

“Such operations can be replicated when there is strong cooperation between the state and Federal governments. These rescue operations bring glory to the President and hope to Nigerians,” Zakari said.

Asked whether relatives still had contact with the abductees, Zakari said information remained scarce.

“The only communication came when the terrorists released a video threatening that, if ransom was not paid, that would be the last time we would see our people,” he added.

The Chief Imam of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Dr Sanusi Lafiagi, speaking with Sunday PUNCH, congratulated the President and security agencies on the successful rescue of the Oyo victims but appealed for similar efforts in Kwara.

“I join millions of well-meaning Nigerians in celebrating the successful rescue of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and teachers.

“Please, sir, I want to remind you of the 176 women and children from Woro who have remained in captivity since February, as well as other kidnap victims from Kwara North. They equally deserve to be rescued and reunited with their families,” he appealed.

Lafiagi warned that the government must prevent the tragedy from becoming another prolonged national crisis.

“We cannot afford another Chibok or Dapchi experience,” he said.

An Ilorin-based public affairs analyst, Abdulrasaq Olanrewaju, also said the Oyo operation deserved commendation but questioned why similar urgency had not been demonstrated in Kwara.

“The successful rescue operation in Oyo is welcome news and deserves applause. Every life saved is a victory.

“But if such coordinated action could produce results in Oyo, why are the abductees from Woro, who were kidnapped much earlier, still waiting?” he asked.

According to him, differences in public attention partly explain the contrasting outcomes.

“In Oyo, sustained media coverage, protests and public advocacy kept the issue in the national consciousness.

“In Kwara, many people are afraid to organise sustained public campaigns because they fear intimidation. That fear weakens public pressure and allows the issue to gradually disappear from the national headlines,” Olanrewaju said.

Hope fades in Kaduna

In Kaduna State, nearly three months after bandits attacked Easter Sunday worshippers in Ariko Community, Kachia Local Government Area, families of those abducted say their hope is fading amid reports that some captives may have died in the kidnappers’ camp.

The gunmen Invaded First ECWA Church and St Augustine Catholic Church during Easter Sunday services, abducting scores of worshippers.

The Village Head of Ariko, Joshua Doka, told Sunday PUNCH that the last proof of life came through an audio message purportedly sent by one of the abductees, who claimed that some of the captives had died from hunger, illness and the harsh conditions in captivity.

He said the community had not received any recent update from the Kaduna State Government regarding efforts to secure the victims’ release.

“They are still demanding N1bn and 35 motorcycles and have refused to reduce the ransom despite all our appeals,” Doka said.

According to him, all communication with the victims has been through the kidnappers.

“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 added.

Replicate Oyo model – Analysts

A public affairs analyst based in Maiduguri, Abubakar Kareto, described the successful rescue in Oyo as encouraging but said it should become a template for operations elsewhere.

“Indeed, the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area after 56 days was a major victory and a thing of joy for Nigeria and Nigerians.

“The rescue, which was achieved through the joint efforts of the military, police and the DSS, has restored hope,” he said.

Kareto, however, warned against allowing other kidnapping cases to slip into public forgetfulness.

“While celebrating the rescue in the South-West, let us not forget that over 40 students abducted in Borno State during their NECO examinations around the same period are still being held captive. This highlights the need for equal security attention across regions,” he said.

The analyst called on the Federal Government to immediately deploy similar intelligence-led operations in Borsai

“The successful intelligence-led rescue model used in Oyo must be immediately deployed in Borno. The government must proactively enforce the Safe Schools Initiative to protect vulnerable rural schools.

“Federal security agencies must also strengthen intelligence-sharing with state and local security structures to prevent abductions before they occur,” Kareto added.

‘Youth protest imminent in Borno’

Meanwhile, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, warned that the group would mobilise peaceful protests if the abducted students were not rescued.

“If the Borno State Government and Senator Ali Ndume cannot secure the release of our schoolchildren abducted from Mussa and Lassa within weeks, we will protest in our communities,” he said.

ADC urges equal treatment

The African Democratic Congress also urged the Federal Government to extend the same operational commitment demonstrated in Oyo to victims in Borno and Kwara.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Saturday, the party congratulated the rescued victims but warned against selective rescue efforts.

“We commend the security agencies and everyone whose efforts made this rescue possible. Most importantly, we rejoice with the families whose long, traumatic wait has finally ended.”

The party, however, stressed that other victims deserved equal attention.

“The pupils abducted in Borno State remain in captivity, while more than 100 people kidnapped in Kaiama, Kwara State, are still being held several months later.

“We believe their suffering deserves the same urgency, determination and national attention that brought the Oriire victims home,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC argued that rescue operations alone should not define the government’s success against insecurity.

“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.

“What we must not do is become accustomed to measuring success by the number of rescue operations conducted,” he added.

Abdullahi said Nigeria’s true measure of success would be when parents could send their children to school without fear and citizens could travel safely across the country.

“We cannot achieve meaningful economic growth, attract investment or restore public confidence while kidnapping remains a recurring feature of national life,” he stated.

Security forces committed to free all victims – Presidency

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 being held by kidnappers, irrespective of location.

“The President has given a directive to the security and intelligence agencies to rescue every Nigerian who is in captivity, whether they are in the North-East, North-West, South-East or South-West, and that is happening every day,” Ajayi told Sunday PUNCH.

“There is hardly a day that the military, DSS and the police are not rescuing children, women and men across the country.

“Visit the social media pages of the military, DSS and the police, and you will see reports of communities being liberated, victims being rescued, and terrorists and bandits being eliminated.

“There is no ethnic colouration to this. The President is the President of the country, and every life is important to him,” he added. (Sunday PUNCH)

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