By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that no child belongs in captivity, saying it has deployed a specialised rescue team and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards following the abduction of school children and teachers in Oyo State and an attack in Borno where 42 pupils remain missing.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known yesterday while briefing journalists in Abuja under the theme #UniteAgainstTerror.
He said President Bola Tinubu has directed that “every lawful instrument available to the Nigerian state” be deployed to secure the release of all captives. Idris described attacks on schools as “an attack on the future of our nation, on education, and on the values that bind us together.”
Intelligence-led operations, state policing planned
The Minister said the Armed Forces, DSS, Police, NIA, NSA and National Counter Terrorism Centre are coordinating intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance and search-and-rescue operations. He withheld operational details “for security reasons.”
Idris said what distinguishes the Tinubu administration is a shift from force-only responses to a “comprehensive, intelligence-led approach” and an overhaul of the security architecture. A key pillar, he noted, is the “determined implementation of state policing” to deliver a system that is “dynamic, flexible, and fit-for-purpose.”
Gains since May 2023
He said Nigeria has recorded “significant successes” against terrorists and criminal networks since President Tinubu assumed office. In the North-East, Operation Hadin Kai neutralised over 50 terrorists last week in Borno and eliminated about 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of leaders, in Q1 2026 alone. A joint Nigeria-US operation in mid-May disrupted ISWAP logistics and rescued 92 civilians near Buratai.
In the North-West and North-Central, joint military and police operations have dismantled criminal camps in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kogi, Niger, Kwara and Kaduna. In the South-South, enhanced Navy operations have cut oil theft, raising crude production by about 400,000 barrels per day.
Justice system delivers
Idris said four terrorists were sentenced to death on Wednesday for the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo. In April 2026, Nigeria commenced mass trials with 508 terrorism-related cases tried, resulting in 386 convictions — “one of the largest terrorism prosecutions in its history.”
Economic growth as root solution
The Minister said President Tinubu recognises that “the enduring solution to Nigeria’s security challenges lies in shared and inclusive economic growth.” He cited the Renewed Hope Agenda’s infrastructure drive — thousands of kilometres of concrete highways, rail, mass housing, power and health facilities — as key to “setting tens of millions of our people on the path to a new wave of prosperity.”
Call for unity, caution to media Idris urged media organisations to avoid sensationalism that “amplifies terrorist objectives” and called on citizens to share credible intelligence. “Terrorism has no tribe. Terrorism has no religion. Terrorism has no political affiliation. Its only purpose is destruction,” he said.
To families of those in captivity, he conveyed Tinubu’s assurance: “Your pain is our pain. Your government has not forgotten you. Every available resource is being deployed.”
He stressed that Nigeria has faced difficult moments before and emerged stronger: “We shall overcome this challenge as well. We shall defeat terrorism. We shall protect our schools. We shall safeguard our children. And we shall continue to build a nation where every Nigerian can live, learn, work, and prosper in peace.”
“Together, united in purpose… we will ensure that terrorism has no future in Nigeria,” he concluded.
Also speaking, Director of Defence Intelligence, Major General Samaila Uba, said the military has recorded major successes in areas that previously had high insecurity. “ISWAP bases and logistics have been destroyed, many fighters captured, and their networks dismantled. The pressure has forced many terrorists to flee their strongholds into areas with lower security presence, causing pockets of spillover attacks,” he said.
He added that wherever terrorists relocate to, security forces will track and bring them to justice. “Fighting terrorism cannot be done by security forces alone. It requires a whole-of-society approach, and all resources of the Nigerian nation have been mobilised to rescue every child and protect every community,” Uba stated.
Director of Legal Services, Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said there is no lack of capacity in Nigeria’s security sector. “The Armed Forces, Police, and other services are well equipped and achieving results,” he said.
Mijinyawa explained that security agencies do not act on political demands or public outcry alone, saying:They use training, threat assessment, and intelligence to determine the right time to move, prioritizing safety of lives over quick action.
“Much of the security work happens behind the scenes. Officers work 24 hours to solve problems, and most operations are concluded without public knowledge due to the sensitive nature of security engagement.”
