By Beryl Odele
The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that the safe return of all abducted school children and teachers currently in captivity remains a top national priority, as efforts to combat terrorism, banditry and other security threats continue across the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, gave the assurance on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a national media briefing held on Thursday at Radio House, Abuja, where he addressed the nation’s prevailing security challenges.
The minister’s remarks come amid recent incidents of abduction involving school children and their teachers in Oyo and Borno states, which have generated widespread concern across the country.
According to Idris, President Tinubu has directed that every lawful instrument available to the Nigerian state be deployed to secure the release of the victims and bring those responsible to justice.
“The President has made it clear that the safe return of every child and every teacher currently in captivity remains a top national priority. No effort will be spared in ensuring that those behind these heinous crimes are apprehended and prosecuted,” he said.
He disclosed that the President had approved the deployment of a specialised rescue team and authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security presence in vulnerable communities and forested areas across the country.
Idris noted that intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, community engagement and search-and-rescue operations are being sustained without interruption, with various security and intelligence agencies working in close coordination.
He identified the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre as key agencies actively involved in ongoing rescue efforts.
The minister stressed that the Tinubu administration is adopting a comprehensive intelligence-led strategy in addressing insecurity, rather than relying solely on military force.
He said the government’s counter-terrorism campaign sends a strong message that criminals and terrorists will be relentlessly pursued, prosecuted and punished in accordance with the law.
Highlighting progress recorded since May 2023, Idris stated that hundreds of terrorists and criminal elements have been neutralised, arrested or compelled to surrender, while numerous kidnapping victims have been rescued across different parts of the country.
He cited reports from military authorities indicating that approximately 1,000 terrorist fighters, including several commanders, were eliminated during the first quarter of 2026 through sustained offensive and defensive operations.
The minister further revealed that Nigerian Army and Air Force operations in the past week successfully repelled attempted terrorist infiltrations along the Kirawa-Pulka and Ngoshe corridors in Borno State, resulting in the elimination of more than 50 terrorists.
He also referenced a joint Nigeria-United States-supported operation in May that disrupted terrorist logistics networks, eliminated key ISWAP commanders and secured the rescue of 92 civilians from captivity near Buratai.
According to him, intensified military and police operations are also yielding results against bandit groups and kidnapping syndicates operating in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger and Kwara states, while security forces continue operations against violent criminal networks, oil thieves and other economic saboteurs in the South-East and South-South regions.
On the judicial front, Idris described the recent conviction and death sentence handed down by the Federal High Court in Abuja to four terrorists involved in the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, as evidence that the government’s anti-terrorism efforts are producing tangible results.
He emphasised that winning the fight against insecurity requires collaboration among government institutions, communities and citizens.
The minister also conveyed President Tinubu’s sympathies to families whose loved ones remain in captivity, assuring them that the government remains fully committed to securing their release.
“Nigeria has faced difficult moments before and emerged stronger. We shall overcome this challenge as well. Together, united in purpose and unwavering in resolve, we will ensure that terrorism has no future in Nigeria,” Idris stated.