COAS visits Kwara, orders sustained offensive against criminal elements
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Director of the National Education Summit, Prof Adams Agahiu, have expressed concern over rising insecurity and attacks on schools across the country, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s future.

In a message to mark the 2026 Children’s Day, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said persistent attacks on schools, alongside worsening social conditions, continued to endanger children and undermine public confidence.

Okoh cited the recent abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State as a stark reminder of the dangers confronting students and schools nationwide.

He said the continued captivity of some victims had left families traumatised and communities shaken, while repeated attacks had inflicted lasting emotional scars.

“No child should live in fear or face violence in schools meant to provide learning, safety, and hope. The thought of teachers facing fear and uncertainty alongside the children they were trying to protect should weigh heavily on the nation’s conscience,” he said.

The CAN president stated that a society where parents feared sending their children to school could not claim to be securing its future.

He urged governments and security agencies to make the protection of schools and children an urgent national priority.

Similarly, Agahiu urged the National Assembly to fast-track the passage of the bill seeking the establishment of state police in Nigeria to strengthen efforts against insecurity.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, he said the creation of state police would enhance the fight against insurgency, kidnapping and other violent crimes affecting communities nationwide.

According to him, local policing would improve security because recruits from the states possessed better knowledge of the terrain, culture and movement within their communities.

“State policing is one of the best solutions for Nigeria’s security challenges because local recruits understand their environment and can easily identify suspicious activities before criminals strike,” he said.

Agahiu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had continued to demonstrate commitment to restoring security through ongoing military operations and other strategic interventions aimed at curbing terrorism and extra-judicial killings.

In another development, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, charged troops of the Joint Task Force North Central, Operation Savannah Shield (OPSS), to intensify ongoing operations aimed at decisively routing kidnappers, bandits, and other criminal elements threatening peace and security within the region.

The COAS gave the charge while addressing troops yesterday at Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, during his maiden operational visit to the Headquarters, JTF North-Central OPSS, in Kwara State.

Waidi vowed that the Nigerian Army remains resolute in its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, stressing that troops have sustained operational momentum aimed at decisively denying criminal elements the freedom to terrorise innocent citizens, infiltrate communities, or undermine national security.

In a statement, Army spokesperson, Col. Appolonia Anele, said the army chief assured the troops that requisite combat enablers and operational resources were being deployed to enhance ongoing clearance operations and dismantle criminal hideouts across Kwara and Niger states.