The Emeritus Supreme Head of the Cherubim and Seraphim Unification Church of Nigeria, His Most Eminence, Prophet Solomon Adegboyega Alao, has commended President Bola Tinubu and security agencies for the successful rescue of the abducted Oriire school pupils and teachers in Oyo State.

The cleric stated that the breakthrough has renewed the hopes of citizens that Nigeria’s security forces possess the capability to bring a permanent end to the security challenges plaguing the country.

Prophet Alao, who is also the Head (Baba Alakoso) of the Sacred C&S Church and Overseas, expressed profound delight over the tactical synergy displayed by the various security agencies. He noted that this strategic coordination ensured all the children and their teachers survived the intense gun battle between the security operatives and the kidnappers.

However, the clergyman warned that the war against banditry and kidnapping is far from over. He emphasised that true victory will only be achieved when all other victims currently held in various abductors’ dens across the country are liberated and the criminals are brought to justice.

“As we speak, there are still hundreds of kidnapped citizens in the bushes,” Prophet Alao noted. “Some students abducted from schools in Borno, Kogi, and Kwara states are still in captivity and have over 100 days in the forests. The security agencies must replicate the same feat achieved in Oyo State to bring them all home.”

He also strongly urged residents living in security buffer zones to actively support the armed forces by volunteering timely and accurate intelligence.

Proffering a practical solution to the ease with which kidnappers operate along major highways and escape into dense forests, the Head of the Sacred C&S Church urged the government to immediately clear all bushes up to half a kilometer on both sides of federal and state roads. This measure, he argued, would eliminate immediate hiding spots for criminals, significantly disrupt their ambush strategies, and make kidnapping more difficult.

The cleric further cautioned political actors against playing politics with human lives, urging both the ruling party and the opposition to form a united front against insecurity.

“What is expected at this critical stage of insecurity in Nigeria is for opposition parties to present their solutions and collaborate with the government to end this menace, but we have not seen enough of that,” he stated.

“The ruling party must also be open-minded and invite the opposition to contribute meaningfully to national discourse, especially on making Nigeria a peaceful haven for all.”

Prophet Alao strongly backed the firm stance of the President Tinubu-led administration against the payment of ransoms to criminals. He criticized previous administrations for surreptitiously fueling the crisis through massive financial concessions.

“The previous administration inadvertently encouraged bandits and kidnappers by paying billions of naira in ransom, which made banditry a highly lucrative business for criminals in parts of the country,” the cleric observed.

While praying for the repose of the soul of Lieutenant Felix Ademe Isaac, the young Nigerian Army officer who lost his life during the high-stakes Oriire rescue operation, the spiritual leader urged the Federal Government to prioritise the welfare of security personnel and ensure that the families of fallen heroes are never abandoned.

He said, “These fallen heroes paid the supreme sacrifice for all of us to live in peace. The families left behind must be fully supported so they never regret that their breadwinners laid down their lives for the nation.”