The successful rescue of 44 abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State has prompted families of kidnap victims, northern socio-political groups, religious leaders, community representatives and opposition politicians to call on the Federal Government to carry out similar operations in Kaduna, Borno, Kwara and other states where many Nigerians are still being held by kidnappers.
They made the appeal after security agencies announced on Friday that the victims taken from schools in Oriire Local Government Area had regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity.
The rescue operation, which involved the military, the Department of State Services and the police, was carried out without the payment of ransom. While many Nigerians welcomed the development, attention quickly shifted to other victims who remain in captivity across different parts of the country.
In Borno State, relatives of 78 students abducted during separate Boko Haram attacks on schools in Askira/Uba Local Government Area said the Oyo rescue had renewed their hope but also increased their worries because there has been little information about their own children.
The students were taken during attacks on schools in Mussa and Lassa earlier this year. Parents said they had not received any meaningful update from the authorities since the incidents and appealed for urgent action to secure their release.
Residents of the affected communities said families were living in fear and uncertainty while waiting for the return of their children. Community leaders also stated that several appeals had been made to the authorities without visible progress.
The Arewa Consultative Forum welcomed the rescue in Oyo and urged President Bola Tinubu and security agencies to extend the same determination to other parts of the country. The group said innocent Nigerians still being held in states such as Borno, Kaduna, Kwara and Zamfara deserve equal attention and should not be left behind.
The Northern Elders Forum also reacted, saying rescuing victims should not replace efforts to stop kidnappings from happening. The group maintained that no child should be exposed to such experiences if proper security measures are in place and urged the government to intensify efforts to free those still in captivity.
In Kwara State, attention has returned to the case of more than 170 women and children abducted during attacks on Woro and nearby communities in Kaiama Local Government Area. Community leaders, residents and religious figures said the rescue in Oyo showed that coordinated security operations can succeed and asked the Federal Government to launch a similar mission for those still being held in Kwara.
They noted that many families have waited for months without seeing their relatives return home and appealed to the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to act quickly before more lives are lost.
In Kaduna State, families of worshippers abducted during Easter attacks on churches in Ariko Community also appealed for urgent intervention. Community leaders said communication with the victims has remained limited and expressed concern over reports that some captives may have died while in the kidnappers’ camp.
Security analysts described the Oyo rescue as proof that intelligence-based operations can produce results when agencies work together. They urged the Federal Government to use the same approach in areas where schoolchildren and other victims are still in captivity. Some youth groups in Borno warned they could organise peaceful protests if efforts to rescue abducted students do not improve.
The African Democratic Congress also welcomed the rescue but called on the Federal Government to give equal attention to victims in Borno, Kwara and other affected states. The party said every abducted Nigerian deserves the same level of commitment and argued that success should not be measured only by rescue operations but by creating a country where citizens can travel, work and attend school without fear of kidnapping.
Responding to the growing calls, the Presidency said President Bola Tinubu has directed security and intelligence agencies to work towards securing the release of every Nigerian still in captivity across the country.
Presidential spokesman Temitope Ajayi said rescue operations and efforts to dismantle criminal groups are ongoing in different regions, adding that the government remains committed to protecting the lives of all Nigerians regardless of where they live.