The National Counter Terrorism Center has handed over the former Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Maharazu Tsiga, and 18 other rescued kidnap victims to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The handover took place in Abuja on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and insecurity in the country.

Tsiga was abducted alongside other persons on February 5, 2025, from his hometown of Tisga in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.

He, however, regained freedom on Wednesday after spending 56 days in captivity.

During the handover, Ribadu commended the efforts of the security forces and intelligence agencies involved in the rescue operation.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to enhancing national security and ensuring the safety of all citizens.

Ribadu said, “Thank you for making it possible for us to witness this occasion. This one, in summary, is a thanksgiving event. We have to be grateful to God. We are here once again.”

The NSA promised that criminal elements, wherever they are in the country, would be apprehended, adding that those behind the kidnapping would pay for it.

He said, “We will go after the bad ones. This is not the end of the story. These people are rescued. But those perpetrators will pay for it. Dearly. The work we are doing today is a work in progress.

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“We are not there yet. But significant achievements have been made. Under the leadership of our President, Bola Tinubu.

“Now the bad people are feeling it. And we will not relent. We are not going to be tired. We will not stop until the end of this. Inshallah. We will continue.”

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, vowed that the military would go after the criminals, causing the citizens pain.

He promised Nigerians that the military wouldn’t rest until all those in captivity were freed.

Musa said, “This is an innovation of some sort. We know several evil and bad people don’t mean this country well, and they’ve continued in their own ways to try and cause pain to the country.

“I want to assure Nigeria. I want to assure Nigerians that we will not sleep until every Nigerian is free in this country. And as a warning to all those who don’t mean us well, we will not allow them to sleep well.”

Musa, who claimed that the military was achieving some results against the criminal elements, acknowledged that the support of the citizens was needed to overcome the insecurity bedevilling the nation.

He said, “We will go after them wherever they are, and we can see that we are getting results. One year, ten months, Nigeria is getting better. It’s not going to be automatic. There’s still work to be done.

“But together as Nigerians, we’ll take this challenge, as a Nigerian challenge. And we must all put our hands together to ensure that we have success.”