By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to stop measuring success by rescue operations and instead prevent kidnappings, arguing that the real test of security is whether Nigerians can live, travel and send their children to school without fear.
While welcoming the rescue of pupils, teachers and other victims abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after 56 days in captivity, the opposition party said the same urgency should be given to securing the release of schoolchildren and other victims still being held by kidnappers in Borno State and Kaiama, Kwara State.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party commended the security agencies and everyone involved in the operation that secured the victims’ freedom, saying their efforts had brought weeks of uncertainty to an end for the affected families.
“We commend the security agencies and all those whose efforts made this rescue possible. Above all, we rejoice with the families whose long and traumatic wait has finally come to an end,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC, however, stated the celebration should not overshadow the plight of other abductees who have remained in captivity for months, with their families enduring the same anguish but receiving far less public attention.
“The pupils abducted in Borno State in May this year remain in captivity, while more than 100 people kidnapped in Kaiama, Kwara State, are still being held by their abductors several months later. We believe their suffering deserves the same urgency, determination, and national attention that helped secure the freedom of the Oriire victims,” the statement said.
The party said the country must not judge progress in tackling insecurity solely by the number of successful rescue operations.
“We must not become accustomed to measuring success by the number of rescue operations conducted. 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,” ADC said.
It argued that the persistence of kidnapping was hurting economic growth, discouraging investment and eroding public confidence, saying insecurity had become an unacceptable part of everyday life under the Tinubu administration.
“Under the Tinubu administration, insecurity has become an accepted part of everyday life for too many Nigerians. This is unacceptable. We cannot achieve meaningful economic growth, attract investment, or build public confidence while kidnapping remains a recurring feature of national life,” Abdullahi added.
The ADC called on the Federal Government to sustain the momentum that led to the Oriire rescue by deploying the same determination, intelligence and operational capacity to secure the release of every Nigerian still being held by criminal elements.
“Every life matters equally. No victim should be forgotten simply because they are voiceless or lack influential advocates to keep their plight in the national spotlight,” it insisted.
The party also urged the government to move beyond what it described as reactive security measures by implementing a comprehensive strategy that addresses the root causes of insecurity, strengthens intelligence gathering, improves inter-agency coordination and restores an effective security presence in vulnerable communities across the country.
It added that while the rescue of the Oriire victims deserved celebration, the country’s relief would remain incomplete until every abducted Nigerian returned home safely.
