The government of President Bola Tinubu has given fresh assurances that all kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers who are currently in the captivity of terrorists will be safely rescued.
Naijaonpoint reports that the assurance was given on Thursday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at a press conference in Abuja.
He 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.
“Operational details cannot be disclosed for security reasons.
“Intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, community engagement, and search-and-rescue operations are continuing without interruption,” he disclosed.
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 also recalled that President Tinubu had authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security presence across vulnerable communities and forests within Oyo State.
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.
He noted that Tinubu became president at the time of evolving security challenges in the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, and other criminal activities, but stated that rather than relying solely on military action, the administration “pursued a strategy that combines military pressure, intelligence coordination, technological enhancement, regional cooperation, and socio-economic interventions.
“Since May 2023, Nigeria has recorded significant successes against terrorist and criminal networks.
“Hundreds of terrorists and criminal elements have been neutralised, arrested, or forced to surrender. Numerous victims of kidnapping have been rescued across various parts of the country,” Idris stated.
As part of the success story, the Minister disclosed that about 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated by the Nigerian military in the first quarter of 2026.
He also noted the mid-May joint Nigeria-United States-supported operation that disrupted terrorist logistics networks and the elimination of key ISWAP commanders.
“Security forces additionally rescued 92 civilians from terrorist captivity near Buratai, while enhanced security deployments ensured that Eid-el-Kabir celebrations proceeded peacefully across key areas of the North-East,” he added.
