…launches offensives against terrorism, kidnapping, and others
… says no child belongs in captivity.
… 386 terror convictions secured, 500 suspects facing trial, it reveals
By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The federal government on Thursday launched a renewed offensive against terrorism and kidnapping, declaring that no effort would be spared to rescue abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the deployment of a specialised rescue team and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across vulnerable communities.
Speaking at a special national security briefing tagged #UniteAgainstTerror in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the recent abductions of schoolchildren and teachers constituted a direct assault on Nigeria’s future and would be met with the full force of the state.
Delivering President Tinubu’s message to Nigerians, Idris declared: “No child belongs in captivity.”
He assured distraught families that the safe return of every abducted child and teacher remained a top priority of the federal government, stressing that all security and intelligence agencies had been mobilised to secure their freedom and bring perpetrators to justice.
“The president has directed that every lawful instrument available to the Nigerian state be deployed towards achieving this objective,” the minister said, revealing that a specialised rescue team had already been activated while additional security personnel would be deployed through the recruitment of forest guards.
The minister disclosed that intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, community engagement and coordinated search-and-rescue operations were ongoing in both Oyo and Borno States, where terrorists reportedly abducted dozens of schoolchildren.
He said the administration’s security strategy goes beyond military force, describing it as an intelligence-driven approach backed by a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, including plans to institutionalise state policing.
According to him, Tinubu is determined to leave behind a modern policing system capable of responding effectively to local security challenges.
Highlighting achievements recorded since the administration came into office in May 2023, Idris said hundreds of terrorists, bandits and criminal elements had been neutralised, arrested or compelled to surrender, while numerous kidnapping victims had been rescued nationwide.
He cited recent military victories in the North-East, where troops of Operation Hadin Kai repelled multiple terrorist incursions along the Kirawa-Pulka and Ngoshe corridors in Borno State, killing over 50 insurgents, including key commanders.
The minister further disclosed that approximately 1,000 terrorists, among them several top leaders, were eliminated in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
In what he described as a major breakthrough, Idris revealed that a joint Nigeria-United States-supported operation conducted in May disrupted terrorist logistics networks and eliminated key ISWAP commanders, while 92 civilians were rescued from captivity near Buratai.
He also reported intensified military pressure on bandits and kidnapping syndicates operating across Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi and Kwara States, leading to the destruction of criminal camps and the arrest of numerous suspects.
In the South-East and South-South, he said security agencies had sustained operations against separatist-linked violence, cult groups, oil thieves and economic saboteurs, adding that enhanced maritime security had boosted crude oil production by about 400,000 barrels per day since Tinubu assumed office.
On the judicial front, Idris pointed to significant gains in terrorism prosecutions, announcing that the Federal High Court in Abuja had just sentenced four terrorists to death for their roles in the 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
He also revealed that Nigeria was currently undertaking one of the largest terrorism prosecution exercises in its history, with over 500 terrorism suspects facing trial.
According to him, 508 terrorism-related cases have already been prosecuted, resulting in 386 convictions, a development he described as a landmark victory in the country’s counter-terrorism campaign.
The minister said the government was equally strengthening international security partnerships, particularly with the United States, in areas such as intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations, military training, border security and cybersecurity.
He praised the cooperation between the federal government and state governments, citing close coordination with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Borno State authorities in ongoing rescue operations.
While acknowledging the progress made, Idris stressed that military operations alone could not end insecurity, insisting that sustainable peace would ultimately depend on economic growth, infrastructure development and improved opportunities for citizens.
He linked the administration’s security agenda to the broader Renewed Hope Agenda, which includes road construction, rail expansion, housing projects, energy infrastructure and healthcare investments aimed at tackling the root causes of instability.
The minister also challenged Nigerians and the media to play active roles in the fight against terrorism.
Warning against sensational reporting that could inadvertently advance terrorists’ objectives, he urged media organisations to verify information rigorously and report responsibly.
“Terrorists thrive on fear, division, misinformation and public despair,” he said.
According to him, “Their objective is not only to kidnap or kill but also to weaken national unity and undermine confidence in our institutions.”
Calling for national solidarity under the #UniteAgainstTerror campaign, Idris declared that terrorism knows no tribe, religion or political affiliation and should be treated as a common enemy of all Nigerians.
“To the families whose children and loved ones remain in captivity, your pain is our pain,” he said.
“Every available resource is being deployed. Every security agency remains engaged. Every intelligence lead is being pursued,” he added.
Expressing confidence in the nation’s ability to overcome the current challenges, the minister reaffirmed the government’s determination to defeat terrorism, secure schools and protect Nigerian children.
“Together, united in purpose and unwavering in resolve, we will ensure that terrorism has no future in Nigeria,” he declared.
