The Federal Government has launched a renewed offensive against terrorism and kidnapping, declaring that no effort will be spared to rescue the schoolchildren and teachers recently abducted in Oyo and Borno states. Following the incidents, President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate deployment of a specialized rescue unit and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to reinforce rural surveillance across vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the administration to urgently overhaul the counter-terrorism framework of the country, warning that insurgent groups are continuously refining their tactics while the government appears unable to match their evolution.
Speaking at a special national security briefing themed "Unite Against Terror" in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that the recent mass abductions constitute a direct assault on the future of Nigeria and will be met with the full power of the state. Delivering the message of the President to the public, Idris asserted that no child belongs in captivity and assured distraught families that the safe return of every hostage remains a top national priority. He noted that all security and intelligence formations have been fully mobilized to secure their freedom, track the abductors, and ensure that perpetrators face the full wrath of the law.
The minister explained that the security strategy of the administration extends beyond conventional military force, describing it as an intelligence-driven approach backed by a comprehensive reorganization of the national security architecture, including plans to institutionalize state policing. Idris added that President Tinubu is determined to deliver a modern, community-responsive policing system capable of addressing local security challenges effectively. Highlighting active operations, the minister noted that troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled multiple terrorist incursions along the Kirawa to Pulka and Ngoshe corridors in Borno State, neutralizing over 50 insurgents. He also revealed that approximately 1,000 terrorists, including several top leaders, were eliminated during the first quarter of 2026.
In a major operational breakthrough, Idris disclosed that a joint operation supported by the United States in May successfully disrupted insurgent logistics networks, eliminated key ISWAP commanders, and freed 92 civilians from captivity near Buratai. He also reported sustained military pressure against banditry networks operating across Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, and Kwara states, which has led to the dismantling of criminal camps. Furthermore, the minister announced that the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced four terrorists to death for their involvement in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, adding that the country is currently pursuing over 500 active terrorism prosecutions. He urged the media and public to report responsibly, warning that terrorists thrive on public despair, fear, and misinformation to weaken national unity.
Reacting to the development, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar argued that the spread of banditry and mass kidnappings across the country proves the current security layout is failing to evolve as rapidly as criminal networks. Atiku noted that insurgents study their successes and failures to refine their tactics and exploit systemic vulnerabilities, adding that a nation refusing to learn from its tragedies is condemned to relive them. He called for an immediate technical review of the National Counter-terrorism Policy to create frameworks rooted in domestic experiences rather than foreign templates, specifically citing the 2014 Chibok girls' abduction as a trauma from which lessons should have been strictly implemented.
To bridge operational gaps, the opposition leader proposed the establishment of a Terrorism Violence Peer Review Mechanism to bring affected communities, local leaders, and security personnel together to evaluate and document response strategies. He also advocated for the creation of specialized Counter-terrorism Fusion Centres in each of the six geopolitical zones to pool real-time intelligence from the military, police, secret service, customs, and local vigilantes. Atiku emphasized that the battle against terrorism must aggressively target the financial lifelines of insurgent networks to dismantle the structures that fund, transport, and shelter criminal actors, while also investing in advanced surveillance technology, border security, and long-term youth economic empowerment programs.
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