The federal government on Thursday has revealed its plans to launch a renewed offensive against terrorism and kidnapping, declaring that no effort would be spared to rescue abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states.
This came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the deployment of a specialised rescue team and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across vulnerable communities.
Speaking at a special national security briefing in Abuja under the hashtag #UniteAgainstTerror, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, declared that the recent kidnappings of teachers and students constituted a direct attack on Nigeria’s future and would be met with the full force of the state.
“No child belongs in captivity,” stated Idris as he delivered President Tinubu’s message to Nigerians.
He reassured distressed families that the safe return of every kidnapped child and teacher remained a key priority of the federal government, emphasising that all intelligence and security services had been activated to ensure their release and prosecute those responsible.
The minister stated, “The president has directed that every lawful instrument available to the Nigerian state be deployed towards achieving this objective.” A specialised rescue team had already been activated, and more security personnel would be deployed through the hiring of forest guards.
In Oyo and Borno States, where terrorists allegedly kidnapped dozens of youngsters, the minister revealed that intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, community participation, and coordinated search-and-rescue operations were ongoing.
He described the administration’s security strategy as an intelligence-driven approach supported by a thorough revamp of Nigeria’s security infrastructure, including plans to institutionalise state policing, and claimed it extends beyond the use of military force.
He claimed that Tinubu is committed to leaving behind a cutting-edge police force that can successfully address regional security issues.
Idris highlighted the accomplishments since the administration took office in May 2023, stating that many kidnapping victims had been freed around the country and that hundreds of terrorists, bandits, and criminal elements had been neutralised, detained, or forced to surrender.
He mentioned recent military successes in the Northeast, where troops from Operation Hadin Kai killed over fifty rebels, including important commanders, while repelling many terrorist invasions along the Kirawa-Pulka and Ngoshe corridors in Borno State.
The minister also said that in the first quarter of 2026 alone, about 1,000 terrorists were killed, including a number of high-ranking officials.
In what he called a significant accomplishment, Idris disclosed that 92 civilians were freed from captivity close to Buratai during a combined operation sponsored by the United States and Nigeria in May that destroyed terrorist supplies networks and killed important ISWAP commanders.
Additionally, he stated that increased military pressure on kidnapping groups and bandits operating in the states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, and Kwara resulted in the destruction of criminal camps and the arrest of several suspects.
He added that since Tinubu took office, increased maritime security has increased crude oil production by roughly 400,000 barrels per day in the South-East and South-South, where security agencies have maintained operations against separatist-linked violence, cult groups, oil thieves, and economic saboteurs.
Idris announced that the Federal High Court in Abuja had just convicted four terrorists to death for their involvement in the 2022 attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, highlighting notable advancements in terrorism prosecutions.
He also disclosed that more than 500 terrorism suspects were on trial as part of one of the biggest terrorism prosecution operations in Nigeria’s history.
He said that 508 terrorism-related cases had already been prosecuted, leading to 386 convictions—a development he called a historic win in the nation’s fight against terrorism.
In areas including intelligence sharing, counterterrorism operations, military training, border security, and cybersecurity, the minister said the government was also bolstering international security relationships, especially with the United States.
Citing close coordination with Borno State authorities and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in continuing rescue operations, he commended the federal government’s collaboration with state governments.
Idris acknowledged the advancements but emphasised that military action alone could not bring an end to instability. He maintained that infrastructural development, economic expansion, and better citizen opportunities would eventually be necessary for a lasting peace.
He connected the administration’s security policy to the larger Renewed Hope policy, which aims to address the underlying causes of instability through investments in energy infrastructure, housing projects, road building, rail expansion, and healthcare.
Additionally, the minister urged Nigerians and the media to take an active part in combating terrorism.
He advised media outlets to thoroughly verify material and report responsibly, cautioning against sensational reporting that can unintentionally further terrorists’ goals.
According to him, “Terrorists thrive on fear, division, misinformation, and public despair.”
“Their objective is not only to kidnap or kill but also to weaken national unity and undermine confidence in our institutions,” he said.
As part of the #UniteAgainstTerror campaign, Idris called for national unity and stated that terrorism should be viewed as a shared adversary of all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation.
“To the families whose children and loved ones are still in captivity, your suffering is our suffering,” he declared.
“Every available resource is being deployed. Every security agency stays engaged. Every intelligence lead is being pursued,” he added.
Expressing confidence in the nation’s ability to overcome the current problems, the minister underlined the government’s willingness to eliminate terrorists, secure schools and protect Nigerian children.
“Together, united in purpose and unwavering in resolve, we will ensure that terrorism has no future in Nigeria,” he stated.
