ADC Welcomes Oriire School Rescue, Urges FG to Prioritise Release of Borno, Kwara Kidnap Victims

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has applauded the rescue of pupils, teachers and other victims abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, while urging the Federal Government to accord the same level of urgency to securing the release of victims still in captivity in Borno and Kwara states.

In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the successful rescue of the Oriire victims after 56 days in captivity as a welcome development and commended security agencies for the operation.

The ADC also congratulated the families of the rescued victims, saying their prolonged period of anxiety had finally come to an end.

“We commend the security agencies and all those whose efforts made this rescue possible. Most importantly, we rejoice with the families whose long traumatic wait for the safe return of the victims has finally come to an end,” the statement said.

The opposition party, however, expressed concern that many other kidnapping victims across the country had remained in captivity for much longer without receiving comparable attention.

It specifically cited pupils abducted in Borno State earlier this year and more than 100 persons kidnapped in Kaiama, Kwara State, urging the government to demonstrate the same commitment that secured the release of the Oriire victims.

According to the ADC, every successful rescue operation deserves commendation, but the greater responsibility of government is to prevent kidnappings from occurring in the first place.

“The true measure of success is whether parents across Nigeria can send their children to school without fear, whether travellers can use our roads without anxiety, and whether ordinary Nigerians can live their daily lives free from the constant threat of violent criminals,” the party stated.

The ADC argued that persistent insecurity had become a major obstacle to economic growth, investment and public confidence, warning that Nigeria could not make meaningful progress while kidnapping remained widespread.

The party called on the Federal Government to sustain the momentum generated by the Oriire rescue by deploying the same intelligence, operational capacity and political will to secure the freedom of all Nigerians still being held by criminal groups.

It also urged the government to move beyond reactive security measures and adopt a comprehensive strategy that addresses the root causes of insecurity, strengthens intelligence gathering, enhances inter-agency collaboration and restores effective security presence in vulnerable communities.

The party maintained that while the successful rescue in Oriire was worthy of celebration, the country could only truly celebrate when every abducted Nigerian regains freedom.

“Every life matters equally. No victim should be forgotten because they are voiceless or lack vocal champions to keep their story on the headlines and national focus,” the statement added.