The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government to shift its attention from celebrating rescue operations to preventing kidnappings across the country, saying Nigerians should be able to live, travel and send their children to school without fear.
The party made the call on Saturday while reacting to the rescue of the pupils, teachers and other victims abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after spending 56 days in captivity.
Although the ADC welcomed the successful operation, it said the same level of commitment should be extended to other victims who are still being held by kidnappers in different parts of the country.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party praised the security agencies and everyone involved in the operation that secured the release of the Oyo victims. It said the rescue ended weeks of pain and uncertainty for the affected families.
The opposition party, however, noted that many other kidnapped Nigerians have remained in captivity for months without receiving the same level of public attention. It pointed to schoolchildren abducted in Borno State earlier this year and more than 100 people kidnapped in Kaiama, Kwara State, saying their release should receive equal urgency from the authorities.
According to the ADC, the country’s progress against insecurity should not be judged only by the number of successful rescue missions. The party argued that true success would be achieved when parents can send their children to school safely, travellers can move freely on highways and citizens can carry out their daily activities without living in fear of kidnappers.
The party also said the continued wave of kidnappings is hurting economic activities, discouraging investors and reducing public confidence. It maintained that insecurity has become a major challenge affecting everyday life and called on the Tinubu administration to address the problem more effectively.
ADC urged the Federal Government to build on the success of the Oyo rescue by using the same intelligence, coordination and security operations to secure the release of every Nigerian still in captivity. It added that every victim deserves equal attention regardless of location or public visibility.
The party further advised the government to go beyond responding after attacks by adopting long-term measures that address the causes of insecurity. It called for stronger intelligence gathering, better cooperation among security agencies and improved security presence in communities vulnerable to criminal activities.
ADC said the joy over the rescue of the Oyo victims would only be complete when all abducted Nigerians regain their freedom safely.