Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South has called for military resources to be redirected to his constituency following the rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Oyo state. Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today on Friday, Ndume urged the armed forces to prioritize his senatorial district, where he said numerous residents remain in captivity.
The Oyo students and educators were freed on Tuesday after spending more than 50 days in the hands of their abductors. They were taken on May 15, 2026, and one teacher was beheaded shortly after the kidnapping, intensifying anxiety about those still held.
Ndume highlighted the security crisis affecting his region during the interview. "I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the military to shift their attention now to my senatorial district and help us get these people back," he said.
He outlined the scale of abductions in Borno South. According to him, 42 children from his district remain captive, while over 30 residents from Lassa were recently seized.
The lawmaker noted that more hostages languish in undisclosed locations. "We still have a leftover of over 50 people in another place," Ndume explained, adding that only some of 400 kidnapped persons had been released so far.
Ndume's plea underscores the persistent kidnapping crisis in the northeast, even as celebrations continue over the Oyo rescue. His comments reflect frustration that media attention and military focus have concentrated on incidents in the southwest while his constituents suffer similar ordeals.
The senator's intervention suggests that security agencies may need to expand rescue operations beyond high-profile cases to address the broader hostage situation across Nigeria's troubled regions.
