The presidential candidate of the Accord Party in the 2027 general election, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has commended Nigeria’s security agencies for the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after about 50 days in captivity.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Olawepo-Hashim described the operation as a major victory against criminality, saying it demonstrated that Nigeria’s security forces possess the capacity to defeat kidnappers and other violent groups when provided with consistent political support.

He argued that the country’s security challenges stem less from the competence of the armed forces than from the need for sustained political direction and decisive leadership.
“We have never doubted the ability of Nigeria’s Defence Forces to secure the country. What has often been lacking is clarity of purpose and unwavering political leadership,” he said.

The former presidential candidate cited the Nigerian military’s record in international peacekeeping missions, particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), as evidence of its capability.

According to him, the successful rescue in Oriire should serve as a template for coordinated operations against kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups operating across the country.

“The same determination that secured the freedom of the Oriire victims must now be deployed across every community where innocent Nigerians remain in captivity, including parts of Kwara, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kebbi states. No family should be left to suffer when the state has the capacity to act,” he said.

Olawepo-Hashim, who is also Co-Chair of the Movement for Democratic Renewal (MDR), urged the Federal Government to provide stronger political backing and strategic direction for security agencies.

He also called on security chiefs to replicate similar rescue operations across all affected parts of the country until all kidnapped victims are freed and criminal networks dismantled.

“Above all, we must now take the fight to all terrorists occupying different parts of our country through an integrated strategy aimed at bringing an end to the terrorist war on our land,” he added.

He congratulated personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) for what he described as their courage, professionalism and sacrifice.

Olawepo-Hashim also congratulated the rescued victims and their families, praying for their full physical, emotional and psychological recovery from the ordeal.