The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to adopt the successful rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as the national model for tackling kidnapping across Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party praised the rescue operation but insisted that similar determination should be extended to every part of the country where Nigerians remain in captivity.
The statement followed President Tinubu’s remarks that his administration refused to negotiate with the kidnappers and instead relied on security operations to secure the release of the Oriire victims.
While welcoming the outcome, the ADC questioned why families in states such as Kwara, Borno, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger and Benue were still waiting for their abducted relatives to be rescued.
“The rescue in Oriire should not stand as an exceptional story that the government recounts with pride. It should be the standard by which every response to kidnapping is measured,” the party said.
According to the ADC, every Nigerian deserves the same level of urgency regardless of where an abduction occurs.
“Those families ask for no special treatment. They ask only for equal humanity and equal citizenship,” Abdullahi stated.
The party argued that the success of the Oriire operation proves the Federal Government has the intelligence, operational capacity and political will to confront kidnappers effectively.
“If the Federal Government has the intelligence network, the operational capacity and the political resolve to bring the victims in Oriire home without yielding to the demands of kidnappers, why has the government not applied the same strategy to rescue other victims?” the statement queried.
The ADC urged President Tinubu to replicate the same intelligence-driven approach across the country.
“The President told the kidnappers in Oriire, ‘No deal.’ He must demonstrate equal resolve and give real hope to families still waiting for their loved ones,” Abdullahi said.
The opposition party maintained that the true measure of success is not a single rescue operation but building a system that guarantees swift responses to kidnappings wherever they occur.
