FG steps up counterterrorism efforts, vows rescue of kidnapped schoolchildren
The federal government says it will launch new counterterrorism operations following recent attacks in Oyo and Borno States, and has pledged to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and strengthen security efforts in affected areas.
Speaking at a special national security briefing in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the incidents as “an attack on the future of our nation, on education, and on the values that bind us together as Nigerians.”
He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that “every lawful instrument available to the Nigerian state be deployed” to ensure the safe return of all victims, adding that a specialised rescue team has been activated alongside the deployment of 1,000 forest guards to vulnerable areas.
Idris stated that multiple security agencies are actively involved in coordinated operations, noting that “the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Intelligence Agency, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and the National Counter Terrorism Centre are actively involved in ongoing efforts.”
He said intelligence-led operations, aerial surveillance, and search-and-rescue missions were ongoing without interruption across affected regions.
The Minister disclosed that recent military operations in the North-East had recorded significant gains, adding that “over 50 terrorists, including several high-value targets, were neutralised” along key operational corridors in Borno State.
He also noted that joint operations had “rescued 92 civilians from terrorist captivity near Buratai,” while coordinated strikes disrupted terrorist logistics networks.
According to him, “approximately 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated during the first quarter of 2026” as security forces sustained pressure across theatres of operation.
