The successful rescue of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State has sparked fresh calls on the Federal Government to launch similar intelligence-driven operations in other parts of the country where hundreds of kidnapping victims remain in captivity.
Leaders from Northern Nigeria, families of abducted victims, religious figures and community stakeholders have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and security agencies to replicate the coordinated rescue mission that secured the freedom of the Oyo victims after nearly two months in captivity.
The appeal comes as many communities in Kaduna, Borno and Kwara states continue to grapple with unresolved kidnapping cases involving schoolchildren, women and other residents who have spent months in the hands of bandits and terrorists.
According to the stakeholders, the rescue operation carried out in Oyo has demonstrated that properly coordinated intelligence gathering and joint security operations can produce positive results when backed by strong political commitment.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) congratulated the Federal Government and security agencies on the successful rescue of the Oyo pupils and teachers but stressed that the same determination should now be directed towards securing the release of other Nigerians still being held by criminal groups across the country.
The forum noted that while the rescue has restored hope to many families, it has also renewed expectations that similar efforts will be made in northern states where numerous victims remain in captivity.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) also welcomed the operation but argued that the government’s ability to rescue the Oyo victims proves it has the capacity to recover other kidnapped Nigerians if similar resources and commitment are deployed.
In Borno State, parents of students abducted during separate attacks by Boko Haram insurgents said the Oyo operation has rekindled their hope that their own children could also regain freedom after months in captivity.
Community leaders in Kaiama, Kwara State, where more than 100 residents, including women and children, were kidnapped earlier this year, equally appealed to the Federal Government to intensify rescue efforts, saying their loved ones deserve the same level of attention given to the Oyo victims.
Residents of Ariko Community in Kaduna State, where worshippers were abducted during Easter Sunday church services, also urged security agencies to act quickly, expressing fears that prolonged captivity could further endanger the lives of those still being held by kidnappers.
Security analysts have described the Oyo rescue mission as a model worth adopting nationwide, urging the government to strengthen intelligence sharing, improve collaboration among security agencies and expand proactive operations into known criminal hideouts.
They also called for stronger implementation of school protection programmes and greater cooperation between federal, state and local authorities to prevent future mass abductions.
While celebrating the safe return of the Oyo pupils and teachers, the stakeholders insisted that every Nigerian held by kidnappers deserves equal attention, urging the Federal Government to ensure that the success recorded in Oyo becomes the beginning of a sustained nationwide campaign against kidnapping and terrorism.