Senate: Abductions in Schools, Communities Alarming, Demands FG Action to Rescue Oyo Victims

• Seeks military offensive in Kwara as Woro victims, Emir’s family still in captivity 

•Gunmen abduct Adelabu’s sister, sons in Ibadan, attack Ogbomoso immigration office 

•Bandits abduct seven federal poly students, security agencies launch rescue operation

•Private security guard escapes with employer’s two kids in Niger 

•Atiku: Adelabu’s family abduction shows no one is safe under Tinubu

• Obi urges kidnappers to free abducted schoolchildren 

•NLC tells FG to act now before it’s too late

Chuks Okocha, Sunday Aborisade, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Folalumi Alaran in Abuja, Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan, Onuminya Innocent in Zamfara and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Senate, yesterday, expressed worry over the worsening wave of kidnappings and violent attacks across the country and demanded the immediate rescue of abducted schoolchildren, teachers, and other victims in Oyo State.

It also called for urgent federal intervention to halt the escalating security crisis in Kwara North Senatorial District.

The upper chamber warned that the growing attacks on schools, communities, and traditional institutions posed a serious threat to national security, social stability, and the future of education in the country.

Its resolutions followed separate motions on the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State and the persistent attacks, killings, and kidnappings in Kwara North senatorial district.

On the Oyo situation, Senate directed security agencies to deploy all necessary resources to secure the release of dozens of schoolchildren, teachers, and other victims abducted by gunmen on May 15 in Ahoro-Esiele and neighbouring communities in Oriire Local Government Area.

Leading debate on the motion, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (APC, Oyo North) described the attack as a direct assault on the country’s future, stating that the victims were seized from what should have been a safe learning environment.

Buhari expressed concern that a toddler was among those abducted and lamented the killing of a teacher during the attack. He said the incident had heightened fear among residents and renewed concerns over the safety of schools in vulnerable communities.

The senate observed a minute silence in honour of those killed, and sympathised with affected families, the people of Oyo State, and the state government.

The lawmakers also urged the federal government to strengthen and expand the Safe Schools Initiative through improved surveillance, intelligence gathering, and enhanced security deployment around schools and rural communities.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) called for stricter oversight of security spending to ensure appropriated funds were effectively utilised.

Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) urged state governments to play a more active role in support of security operations.

The senate acknowledged the recent visit of a federal government delegation, led by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the affected communities.

Speaking with journalists after plenary, Buhari appealed to Nigerians not to politicise the tragedy. He stressed that the security agencies were working to secure the safe return of the victims and warned that disclosure of sensitive operational details could jeopardise rescue efforts.

Senate’s concerns further extended to Kwara North, where lawmakers decried recurring killings, kidnappings, and attacks on communities, including the burning of the palace of the Emir of Yashikira by armed criminals.

Presenting a motion, titled, “Urgent Need for Federal Government Intervention to Address the Re-occurring Insecurity in Kwara North Senatorial District,” Senator Sadiq Umar said the district had witnessed an alarming deterioration in security, marked by persistent attacks on innocent citizens and widespread destruction of property.

Umar told the senate that several months after the Woro massacre, many women and children abducted during the attack were still being held captive, leaving their families in prolonged anguish and uncertainty.

He disclosed that armed criminals recently attacked and set ablaze the palace of the Emir of Yashikira, abducting several members of the monarch’s family, including some of his wives and children.

According to him, communities in Patigi and Edu local government areas have also suffered repeated attacks, while criminal elements recently invaded Lafiagi township, killing and abducting residents.

The senator attributed the security challenge, partly, to the vast and difficult terrain around Kainji Lake National Park and adjoining forest reserves, which he said had become operational bases for criminal groups terrorising communities in Kwara North and neighbouring states.

While commending the security agencies, local vigilantes, and community leaders for their efforts, he maintained that the persistence of attacks underscored the need for stronger government action.

Following the deliberation, Senate unanimously adopted all prayers contained in the motion and called on the federal government to reinforce the security architecture in Kwara North through the establishment of additional military bases, deployment of more personnel and equipment, and intensified joint operations to flush out criminal elements from the Kainji Lake forest axis and other identified hideouts.

It also urged the armed forces, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue all kidnapped victims still in captivity across the district.

Lawmakers further called for the rehabilitation and expansion of critical road infrastructure in the area to improve accessibility, enhance security response, and stimulate economic activities.

The senate urged National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation support to affected families and communities.

To ensure effective oversight, the upper chamber mandated its committees on national security and intelligence, army, air force, police affairs, works and special duties to engage relevant stakeholders and report back within four weeks on measures being taken to address the security challenges.

Adelabu’s Sister, Sons Abducted in Ibadan, Ogbomoso Immigration Office Attacked

Gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday kidnapped the younger sister of the immediate past Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin children in the Elewura area of Challenge, Ibadan, throwing the Oyo State capital and other major towns in the state into panic.

Unknown gunmen, Tuesday night, also attacked the Nigeria Immigration Service office in Ogbomoso, carting away firearms belonging to officers on duty.

A media aide to Adelabu, Comrade Femi Awogboro, who confirmed the abductions in a statement, said Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, alongside her twin sons, Peter and Paul, were abducted by armed gunmen in Ibadan about 7:30am while on her way to drop them in school.

The statement read, “The abductors also forcefully took away her 12-year-old twin sons who were with her at the time of the incident. Immediately the incident was reported, all relevant security and law enforcement agencies were duly contacted.

“We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have commenced in earnest. Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible for this heinous crime.”

The statement added, “Chief Adebayo Adelabu and the entire family are deeply distressed by this tragic development but remain hopeful and confident in the capacity of the security agencies to secure the safe release of Mrs. John-Paul and her children.

“The family respectfully appeals to members of the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and refrain from circulating unverified information that may jeopardise ongoing security operations. We also solicit prayers and support from well-meaning Nigerians during this difficult period.”

The incident occurred barely 20 days after 47 students and teachers were kidnapped in Ahoro Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The State Police Command, in a statement by its spokesman, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said it had commenced investigation into the abduction.

Olayinka said the Commissioner of Police had immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Challenge Division, alongside other tactical teams, to proceed to the scene where the victim’s vehicle was recovered and commence intensive investigations.

He assured members of the public that all necessary resources had been deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the apprehension of those responsible for the criminal act.

Olayinka urged residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperative with the police by providing any useful information that might assist ongoing investigations.

The incident in Ogbomoso was said to have occurred at about 10pm at the immigration office located along the Ogbomoso–Ilorin Motorway, near the NNPC filling station.

Sources said the assailants stormed the facility while commercial activities were still ongoing at the nearby Ayanyan Cattle Market.

It was learnt that during the attack, officers on duty were reportedly overpowered and dispossessed of their firearms while the exact number of weapons taken could not be immediately confirmed.

The attackers reportedly fled the scene under the cover of darkness.

Bandits Kidnap Seven Kaura Namoda Poly Students, Govt Launches Rescue Operation

Panic gripped Kaura Namoda town in Zamfara State on Tuesday night after bandits abducted seven students of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda.

The students were taken from their off-campus residence in the Low-Cost area on the outskirts of the town.

Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Hon. Mannir Kaura, confirmed the incident, saying security agencies have launched rescue operations.

According to a student, Ibrahim Ahmad, one of the abducted students managed to escape during the attack. Three male and three female students remained in captivity.

The Concerned Citizens of Kaura Namoda group expressed alarm over the worsening security situation in the area. They blamed the attack on a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Bello Dansadiya, and his gang.

The group recalled similar incidents, including the abduction of two senior lecturers held for over two months, despite ransom payment. Three residents and a district head were also kidnapped near a military base.

“Alarmingly, all these victims are reportedly still being held in a well-known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma, yet no rescue operations have taken place,” the group said.

Zamfara State Police Command confirmed the abduction through its spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar. He said efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining six students.

Abubakar explained that the bandits entered after a student left the door open while stepping outside at night. He stressed that the polytechnic premises itself remained fortified with security personnel.

The police spokesperson added that the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, working with troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, had begun a coordinated rescue operation.

“We are working to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students,” Abubakar assured.

Niger: Private Security Guard Escapes with Employer’s Two Kids

A private security guard has escaped with two kids of his employer in Minna, with the police suspecting abduction.

The security guard, named Sani Abdulrahaman, a Fulani by tribe, on Sunday, reportedly took Umaru and Anas, both six years old, on Sallah picnic without the knowledge of their father, Alhaji Danjuma, a businessman, and failed to bring them back home.

The father of the children raised the alarm asking the public and security agencies to help him locate the fleeing security guard and his children.

Danjuma said someone called him on Sunday evening and said he was in Erena forest in Shiroro Local Government Area with the children.

According to him, the caller asked for undisclosed ransom before his children who were in their custody would be released.

When contacted, Niger State Command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, which he said occurred about one o’clock on Sunday, May 31.

Abiodun explained that the security man pretended that he was taking the children for Sallah celebration in the town, but did not return.

He said the police suspected abduction but disclosed that “investigation has commenced and efforts to locate the children are ongoing.”

Atiku: Adelabu’s Family Abduction Shows No One is Safe Under President Bola Tinubu

The presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, reacted to the news of the abduction of the sister and twin nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, saying no one is safe again under President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed solidarity with the Adelabu family, saying the unfortunate incident exposed the frightening depth of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.

He described it as particularly shocking that such a brazen abduction occurred in the heart of Ibadan at the bustling Challenge Bus Stop, one of the city’s busiest and most recognisable locations.

The former vice president said the fact that kidnappers could strike in such a prominent public space without fear of interception spoke volumes about the worsening security situation in the country.

He observed that while millions of ordinary Nigerians had endured the horrors of kidnapping for years, “this latest incident raises a question that the Tinubu administration can no longer evade: if government officials have become desensitised to the suffering of ordinary citizens, should they not at least be alarmed when insecurity reaches the doorstep of one of their own?”

He lamented that across the country, families were being subjected to unimaginable trauma as kidnappers and other criminal elements operated with growing audacity.

Atiku stated, “Schoolchildren are abducted from classrooms, farmers are driven from their lands, travellers are kidnapped on highways, and entire communities are held hostage by fear.

“Yet, despite these grim realities, the government’s response has too often been characterised by excuses, propaganda, and palliatives rather than decisive action.”

Atiku stated that kidnappers did not ask for party membership cards before striking.

He said, “They do not distinguish between APC members and opposition supporters. They do not care whether their victims are ministers, former ministers, traders, teachers, students, or farmers.

“The same insecurity that has turned the lives of ordinary Nigerians into a daily nightmare is now knocking on doors many in government may have assumed were beyond its reach.”

He stated that the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for those entrusted with the security of the nation.

“If the endless cries of ordinary Nigerians were not enough to spur this government into action, one would have expected that an attack affecting the family of a former member of the administration would finally underscore the urgency of the crisis. Sadly, insecurity has become so pervasive that no one is truly insulated from its consequences.”

Atiku called on the Tinubu administration to abandon its approach to security and immediately implement a comprehensive, intelligence-driven strategy capable of dismantling kidnapping syndicates, securing vulnerable communities, and restoring public confidence in the state’s ability to protect life and property.

Atiku also advised Tinubu to listen to Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the spate of kidnappings and general insecurity in Nigeria.

He charged Tinubu to work on the recommendations made by CAN while he was still in office as the Nigerian president.

CAN had condemned the spate of kidnappings while calling on Nigerian leaders to ensure the immediate release of all school children abducted by gunmen across the country.

However, Atiku in a post on X, wrote, “I have just read the communique released by the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, under the leadership of His Grace Archbishop Daniel Okoh from the 2026 National Church Leaders Summit and I align with the concern and sympathies of the Church in Nigeria over the security of the lives of Nigerians.

“The demand for a comprehensive review of the nation’s security architecture, enhanced intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency cooperation, improved operational effectiveness and greater accountability in the fight against terrorism, banditry and violent crime, are all fully in line with my position on the failure of the Tinubu-led Federal Government.”

Atiku added, “As insecurity ravages without concern for religious or ethnic differences which have been made more glaring by the 360 degrees failure of the incumbent government, I commend this noble effort to hold the ruling party accountable and encourage solidarity from all Nigerians in this regard.

‘’I enjoin other faith organisations especially of the Muslim block to lend their voices to this wake-up call.

“On behalf of the political opposition whom Tinubu has ignored as well as the Nigerian people, I urge Tinubu to listen to this urgent call from CAN and diligently ponder his courses of action beyond rhetoric, at least for his remaining months in office.”

Obi Urges Kidnappers to Free Schoolchildren

Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, made an emotional appeal to the abductors of schoolchildren and their teachers, who had remained in captivity for more than two weeks, urging them to release the victims immediately in the interest of humanity.

Reacting to reports and images of the abducted children, Obi said he was deeply disturbed by their plight. He described the development as a stark reminder of the country’s worsening security situation.

In a statement posted on X, Obi said the condition of the children had left him “shocked and heartbroken,” adding that their ordeal underscores the long-term consequences of governance failures and societal neglect.

He said the continued detention of innocent children was unacceptable under any circumstance and should not be justified by grievances or hardship.

Addressing the kidnappers directly, Obi appealed to their conscience, urging them to recognise the humanity of the victims and the anguish being endured by their families.

He said the children represented the hopes and aspirations of their parents and communities, stressing that every child deserves protection and the opportunity to live free from fear.

Obi further urged the captors to show mercy and facilitate the safe return of the children and their teachers to their families and society.

Northern Coalition Accuses FG of Double Standards in Oyo, Borno Abduction Cases

Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) accused the federal government of applying double standards in its response to recent school abductions in Oyo and Borno states, alleging unequal treatment of victims based on their geographical location.

The group, while condemning the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in both states, described the incidents as evidence of the worsening security situation in the country and a growing inability of the government to adequately protect citizens.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, the coalition expressed concern over what it termed a pattern of selective outrage, unequal attention, and discriminatory security responses to tragedies occurring in different parts of Nigeria.

According to the group, about 46 schoolchildren and teachers were abducted on May 15 from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele, Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Charanchi said, “The incident rightly triggered national outrage and attracted immediate attention from the federal government. However, on the very same day, another group of terrorists abducted 42 pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

“Yet, while the Oyo incident received swift federal sympathy, high-level visits and urgent security assurances, the victims and communities in Borno have largely been abandoned to silence and neglect.”

The group alleged, “Following the Oyo abduction, the federal government reportedly dispatched a powerful delegation including the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff to the President. The President also approved the recruitment of 1000 forest guards for affected communities in Oyo State as part of immediate intervention measures.

“But what exactly has been done for the traumatised communities in Borno? Where are the emergency security deployments? Where are the high-powered federal delegations?

“Where are the special interventions and assurances for grieving Northern communities that have suffered repeated terrorist attacks, mass kidnappings and killings for years?”

NLC to FG: Act Now Before It’s Too Late

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatened to call its members and affiliates out to join in solidarity strikes with teachers.

In a statement by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, the labour movement expressed solidarity with the striking Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) members of over the serial cases of abduction of its members and students/pupils.

It said it would not hesitate to do a solidarity action with the teachers or any other group of workers if government did not take more seriously the issues of collective security.

NLC said the national and well-coordinated action represented the resolve of teachers to take their destiny in their hands instead of waiting to be slaughtered to the last person.

NLC stated, “The action equally represents a gentle but unignorable nudge on the governments to take more seriously the growing insecurity industry.

“We commend the leadership of the NUT, led by Comrade Titus Audu Amba for this thoughtful action across the country.

“Our hearts are with the teachers, pupils/students and other vulnerable workers, especially local government workers, doctors, nurses, medical and health workers who often fall victim of the nefarious acts of bandits or other miscreants.”

The statement added, “We are heart-broken by the ugly pictures of our children, held and tortured by depraved bandits in the forests of Oyo state.

“As a nation, we cannot continue to fold our hands while this horror movie continues to play, from Zamfara to Oyo, from Maiduguri to to Port Harcourt.

“We will not hesitate to do a solidarity action with the teachers or any   other group of workers if government does not take more seriously the issues of our collective security.”

Dan’iya Condemns Fresh Tureta Attack, Urges Urgent Security Review in Sokoto

Governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Dan’iya, expressed deep concern over the renewed bandit attack on Dan Gulbi community in Tureta Local Government Area.

The attack occurred barely 48 hours after an earlier assault on the same community had reportedly claimed the lives of 17 residents and visitors.

In a statement by his Press Secretary, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’iya described the latest incident as a disturbing development that highlighted the urgent need for stronger and coordinated security measures.

According to residents, armed bandits invaded Dan Gulbi village on Tuesday morning, arriving on motorcycles and opened fire on villagers. The attack forced many residents to flee their homes.

Community sources indicated that more than 20 persons might have lost their lives in the latest attack, while several houses were destroyed and a number of residents remained unaccounted for.

Dan’iya extended condolences to the families of the victims, the people of Tureta Local Government Area, and the entire Sokoto State over the losses.

He criticised what he described as the APC administration’s lack of urgency and empathy in addressing the growing security challenges, stating that government has often failed to issue condolence messages to affected communities.

The governorship candidate called for a comprehensive review of existing security strategies. He emphasised the need for enhanced intelligence gathering, stronger collaboration among security agencies, and greater support for vulnerable rural communities.