The African Democratic Congress has praised the rescue of pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State after 56 days in captivity. However, the opposition party is calling on the federal government to show equal urgency in freeing abducted schoolchildren and other victims still held by kidnappers in Borno and Kaiama, Kwara State.
In a statement on Saturday, the party's national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, acknowledged the security agencies and everyone involved in the rescue operation. "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," he said.
The ADC noted that many other families with relatives still in captivity haven't received the same attention. Pupils taken in Borno State in May remain held by kidnappers, while more than 100 people abducted in Kaiama, Kwara State have been captive for several months without comparable focus.
"The suffering of these victims deserves the same urgency, determination, and national and international attention that brought the Oriire victims home," the party stated. The ADC argued that rescuing victims shouldn't be the standard by which the government measures success.
Instead, preventing abductions in the first place must become the government's primary focus. The party believes every successful rescue deserves celebration, but kidnappings themselves represent a failure of state responsibility.
"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 go about their daily lives free from the constant threat of violent criminals," the ADC added. The party expressed concern that insecurity now feels normal for too many Nigerians, which undermines public confidence and economic development.
The ADC accused the Tinubu administration of allowing kidnapping to become an accepted part of everyday life. "We cannot achieve meaningful economic growth, attract investment or build public confidence while kidnapping remains a recurring feature of national life," the party said.
The opposition called on the federal government to maintain the momentum from the Oriire rescue by using the same intelligence, operational capacity and determination to free all Nigerians currently in captivity. The party stressed that every life matters equally and no victim should be forgotten simply because they lack vocal advocates.
