..Warns against politicizing insecurity
By Stanley Onyekwere
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has assured protesting teachers and civil society organizations that security agencies are intensifying operations to rescue abducted educators and students.
However, the minister firmly cautioned against turning national security challenges into political ammunition.
Wike gave the assurance on Tuesday while addressing demonstrators, who gathered outside the FCT Administration (FCTA) Secretariat.
The protesters demanded immediate government action following recent school kidnappings
Speaking to the crowd, Wike emphasized that the Federal Government remains fully committed to securing the safe release of all victims and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s security architecture.
”We are all concerned about this security situation. The government is on its toes to ensure that those who are kidnapped are rescued,” Wike stated.
He expressed strong confidence in the capacity of the nation’s security institutions, while acknowledging the urgent need for swift action.
“I have that confidence that the security system will do all they can to make sure the teachers and the students that are being kidnapped are rescued, and let it be prompt,” he added.
While validating the public’s anxiety, the minister drew a hard line against exploiting the crisis for political gain.
He noted that while teacher abductions have unfortunately occurred in various states across the country, they rarely trigger identical protests in the nation’s capital.
Wike urged citizens to adopt a unified, non-partisan approach to the crisis, saying “insecurity affects every region and should be treated as a shared national burden.”
The minister stressed that no responsible government would willingly leave its citizens vulnerable to criminal elements.
”Security agencies are currently working within established protocols and have made significant headway behind the scenes despite challenging circumstances.
”We are all concerned, but let us not politicise issues. That is what I will not support,” he stated.
“There is no government that will deliberately say let citizens be kidnapped, but we know where we found ourselves and we know that everything possible is being done”, he said.
The protest highlights mounting public anxiety over a recent wave of school abductions.
Educational unions and civil society groups continue to demand stricter security measures around academic institutions alongside the immediate rescue of those currently held captive.
