Tinubu Orders ‘Full-Scale Rescue’ for Oyo, Borno Schoolchildren — Information Minister

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a full-scale rescue operation for schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo and Borno states, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja tagged _#UniteAgainstTerror_, Idris said the president directed that “every lawful instrument available to the Nigerian state” be deployed, including a specialized rescue team.

The minister’s remarks come amid growing public outrage over attacks on schools. Protests have occurred in several states, including the FCT, since Monday.

On May 15, gunmen abducted 39 students and seven teachers from three schools in Oriire LGA, Oyo State. Two people were killed during the raid, and one abducted teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was later killed in captivity.

In a separate mid-May attack, 42 children were reportedly abducted from a school in Askira-Uba LGA, Borno State.

“The abductions are not merely attacks on communities and families but assaults on the future of the country, education, and the values that bind citizens together,” Idris said.

He said Tinubu has made the safe return of every child and teacher in captivity a “top national priority.”

“The president has made it clear that no child belongs in captivity and that no effort will be spared in ensuring that those responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to justice,” he added.

Idris said Tinubu has also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to bolster security in vulnerable communities and forests.

He noted the Borno attack “bears the familiar signature of terrorist groups” that have long sought to undermine education in the North-East.

While operational details were withheld for security reasons, Idris said multiple agencies are involved in the rescue effort: the Armed Forces, DSS, Police, NIA, Office of the National Security Adviser, and National Counter Terrorism Centre.

“Intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, community engagement, and search-and-rescue operations are continuing without interruption,” he said.

*‘We Shall Overcome’*

Idris said the administration’s response goes beyond force and is anchored on intelligence-led security and an overhaul of the security architecture.

He said Tinubu is determined to leave a restructured policing system as part of his legacy — “one that is dynamic, flexible, and fit-for-purpose” to secure local communities.

The minister said the government inherited complex challenges including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and oil theft, but is using a strategy that combines military pressure, intelligence coordination, technology, regional cooperation, and socio-economic interventions.

Since May 2023, he said, hundreds of terrorists and criminal elements have been neutralised, arrested, or forced to surrender, and numerous kidnap victims have been rescued.

He linked lasting security to economic growth, citing Tinubu’s reforms aimed at inclusive prosperity. “The enduring solution to Nigeria’s security challenges lies in shared and inclusive economic growth,” Idris said.

*‘Terrorism Has No Tribe’*

The minister urged Nigerians to support security agencies and reject divisive narratives.

“Whether in Oyo, Borno, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, the South-East, or any other part of Nigeria, an attack against one Nigerian is an attack against all Nigerians,” he said. “Terrorism has no tribe. Terrorism has no religion. Terrorism has no political affiliation. Its only purpose is destruction.”

He called on the media to exercise restraint in security reporting, warning that sensational coverage could aid terrorist groups.

To families of the abducted, Idris conveyed Tinubu’s assurance: “Your pain is our pain. Your government has not forgotten you. Every available resource is being deployed. Every intelligence lead is being pursued.”

“Nigeria has faced difficult moments before and emerged stronger. We shall overcome this challenge as well,” he said. “We shall defeat terrorism. We shall protect our schools. We shall safeguard our children.”