Abuja: The Federal Government on Wednesday reaffirmed its determination to rescue the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls and strengthen the national fight against insecurity. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this at a news conference in Abuja, discussing the Government’s efforts to win the battle against terrorism.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Idris emphasized that President Bola Tinubu has placed the nation’s security agencies on their ‘highest alert ever,’ directing them to intensify operations aimed at eliminating terrorists, bandits, and criminal networks across the country. The minister assured that all available resources are being deployed to ensure the safe return of the girls to their families and restore security nationwide.
Idris conveyed that the President has put the nation’s security apparatuses on the highest alert and is committed to actively pursuing and eliminating criminal elements wherever they may be in Nigeria. The minister extended President Tinubu’s earnest sympathies to Nigerians affected by acts of violence perpetrated by ‘enemies of the Nigerian nation’, including terrorists and bandits.
The minister highlighted recent incidents, including the tragic killing of a high-ranking Army General, the abduction of students in Kebbi State, and the attack on a Church in Kwara, which serve as painful reminders of the threats facing Nigerians. Idris stated that these heinous attacks only strengthen the resolve of the Federal Government to address and deal a permanent blow to terrorism.
Idris also mentioned that President Tinubu has postponed his international engagements, particularly the G20 Meeting in South Africa, to focus on developments within Nigeria. The President has directed the military and police to deploy more personnel in Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. Furthermore, Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima is currently in Birnin Kebbi to meet with the Governor of Kebbi state, security chiefs, traditional rulers, and families of the abducted schoolgirls.
Idris listed members of the Vice President’s entourage, including the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Ibrahim, and the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Hajiya Zubaida Umar.
The minister expressed the federal government’s concern over ‘divisive and narrow rhetoric’ that frames the nation’s security challenges in sectarian terms, categorically refuting any characterization of the situation along religious lines. Present at the briefing were Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Dr. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Malam Ali M. Ali, Managing-Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, and Mr. Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media Affairs.