The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the security strategy used in rescuing abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to other Nigerians still being held by kidnappers across the country.
Naijaonpoint reports that the opposition party said victims in Kwara, Borno, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Benue and other states deserved the same level of urgency and attention from the Federal Government.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the successful rescue operation in Oyo State should become the standard response to kidnapping cases nationwide rather than an isolated achievement.
The ADC said it welcomed the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers, describing every successful rescue as a victory for Nigeria.
The party referred to Tinubu’s remarks on Thursday while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to the ADC, the President said the government refused to negotiate with the kidnappers and instead relied on security operations, including measures targeting their families, to secure the victims’ release.
“Every Nigerian should be delighted with the outcome of this bold strategy by the Federal Government. Every life rescued from the hands of kidnappers is a victory for the country. Every family reunited with loved ones deserves relief,” the statement read.
The party, however, questioned why the same intelligence and operational capacity had not been deployed to rescue other Nigerians who had remained in captivity for longer periods.
“If the Federal Government has the intelligence network, the operational capacity and the political resolve to bring the victims in Oriire home without yielding to the demands of kidnappers, why has the government not applied the same strategy to rescue other victims who have fallen victims much longer and have continued to languish in kidnappers’ dens till today?” it asked.
The ADC said hundreds of families in Kwara State remained uncertain about the fate of their loved ones, while communities in Borno and other parts of the country continued to await the return of abducted residents.
It added that affected families were not asking for special treatment but equal concern from the government.
The party urged Tinubu to demonstrate the same resolve shown in the Oriire case by assuring families of other abductees that their loved ones had not been forgotten.
“The President told the kidnappers in Oriire, ‘No deal.’ He must demonstrate equal resolve and send an equally unmistakable message and give real hope to families still waiting for a son, daughter, husband, wife or parent that the government has not forgotten them,” the ADC said.
The party argued that the true measure of the government’s security performance would be its ability to protect Nigerians from abduction and secure the release of victims irrespective of their location.
It consequently called for the immediate deployment of the intelligence, surveillance and operational resources used in Oyo State to Kwara, Borno and other states where abducted Nigerians remained in captivity.
“No family should have to wonder whether the urgency of government depends on where tragedy happens,” the statement added.
