Northern stakeholders demand Oyo-like rescue for 300 captives in terrorists’ den

Amid rising attacks on schools, ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to fully fund and implement the Safe Schools Declaration while strengthening community-level security in rural and newly threatened communities to protect learners.

The call was made by the Board of Directors of ActionAid Nigeria during its yearly general assembly convened to review the state of the nation.

Convener of the General Assembly, Ohio Akoudo Ifiabor, while speaking during a media briefing at the weekend, expressed concern over the increasing attacks on schools, noting that between May and July 2026 alone, no fewer than 124 schoolchildren and students were abducted in Oyo, Borno and Zamfara states.

He described the attacks as a growing threat to education and the safety of learners.
HOWEVER, the Federal Government has been called out over an uneven response to mass abductions, with nearly 300 Nigerians, including women and children, still languishing in terrorists’ enclaves months after their abduction in the North.

The convener, who commended the rescue of Oriire victims abducted in Oyo State, urged the Federal Government to treat the rescue of all remaining abducted children and teachers as a national emergency.

He, therefore, called for a visible, coordinated and adequately funded rescue and protection operation with clear timelines and regular public updates.

The organisation also urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to move beyond reactive military responses by adopting a comprehensive security strategy rooted in community intelligence, trust and accountability.

It further commended the renewed legislative push for state police, the Federal Executive Council’s approval of comprehensive reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the introduction of a community-level flood forecasting system ahead of the rainy season, but stressed that Nigerians were yet to experience tangible improvements

The organisation, however, called for the speedy passage of legislation establishing state police, while ensuring safeguards against political abuse and a sustainable funding framework that would enable all states to effectively provide security.

HOWEVER, the Federal Government has been called out over an uneven response to mass abductions, with nearly 300 Nigerians, including women and children, still languishing in terrorists’ enclaves months after their abduction in the North.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), northern leaders, stakeholders in Borno and prominent Nigerians, therefore, questioned why the Federal Government had yet to demonstrate the same urgency, commitment and coordinated security response that secured the release of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Council in Oyo State.

They urged the Federal Government to rescue hundreds of other Nigerians, including schoolchildren, women and community members, who remain in the custody of ISWAP, Boko Haram and armed bandits across Borno, Kaduna, Kwara and other parts of the North.

They insisted that every Nigerian life carries equal value, stressing that no child, woman or community should receive preferential attention because of geography, ethnicity, religion or political considerations.

The growing concern is fuelled by the prolonged captivity of 176 residents of Kwara State who were abducted by terrorists on February 3 and had spent 166 days in captivity, among others, with stakeholders warning that every passing day exposes the captives to worsening health conditions, psychological trauma, abuse and other life-threatening dangers.

A member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Abubakar Yusuf, called on the Federal Government, the Defence Headquarters, and the Ministry of Defence to adopt a non-kinetic approach to secure the release of children abducted by suspected insurgents in Borno State.

According to him, negotiation remains the most effective option for ensuring the safe return of the abducted children.