The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally requested that President Bola Tinubu adopt the recent rescue of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as the official model for addressing kidnapping throughout the nation. In a statement released by National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party emphasized that all abducted citizens, irrespective of their location, should receive the same level of federal urgency and commitment.
The party’s appeal follows comments made by President Tinubu during a meeting with Oyo State traditional rulers. The President noted that his administration secured the release of the Oriire victims by refusing to negotiate with captors and instead employing tactical security operations that included applying pressure on the perpetrators’ families. The ADC contends that this successful strategy proves the government has the intelligence and operational strength to handle kidnappings effectively elsewhere.
Questioning why this methodology is not being utilized in states like Borno, Kwara, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, and Benue, the ADC argued that families currently waiting for loved ones deserve equal status and protection under the law. The party highlighted that the Oriire rescue should be the baseline for government action rather than an isolated incident. They urged the administration to prove its capabilities by consistently applying this same vigor, surveillance, and refusal to concede to kidnappers across all regions to ensure that no citizen feels abandoned by their government.
