Abuja – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the rescue of all 38 worshippers kidnapped in Eruku, Kwara State, and the recovery of 51 students who went missing from a Catholic school in Niger State, describing the operations as the result of intensified efforts by Nigeria’s security forces.
In a statement posted on his verified X account on Sunday, the President said he had cancelled a planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa in order to personally oversee the response to the abductions.
“Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State have been rescued,” Mr Tinubu wrote. “I am equally happy that 51 out of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger State have been recovered.”
The President added that he is “closely monitoring the security situation nationwide” and receiving regular briefings from the front line.
He concluded with a firm pledge: “Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people.”
While the government has presented the rescues as a success for its security strategy, critics have been quick to point out that the worshippers and students should never have been abducted in the first place. Returning citizens to their families after they have been taken by armed criminals, they argue, is the bare minimum expected of any functioning state and cannot reasonably be celebrated as an achievement.
Kidnappings for ransom have become alarmingly routine across northern and central Nigeria in recent years, with schools, places of worship, and highways frequent targets. Many Nigerians remain sceptical that the underlying causes — poverty, weak policing, and the proliferation of small arms — are being tackled with the urgency required.
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