President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday said he is closely monitoring the security situation across the country, assuring citizens that his administration will not relent in its efforts to protect lives and property.
The President made the remarks in a post on his X handle while reacting to the release of the 38 worshippers abducted earlier in the week at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The victims were freed following coordinated operations by security agencies.
Bandits had stormed the church during a programme on Tuesday, whisking away several worshippers and triggering nationwide concern.
Tinubu recalled that he cancelled his scheduled trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to focus on domestic security coordination, noting that securing Nigerians remains his utmost priority.
“Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people,” the President stated.
He also commented for the first time on the mass abduction at a Catholic school in Niger State, where scores of students were taken away by armed attackers. According to him, 51 of the kidnapped students have so far been rescued.
The silence of the Presidency on the Niger incident had drawn criticism, especially after the Federal Government ordered the closure of 41 Unity Colleges and several states suspended school activities due to rising insecurity. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had accused the government of being overwhelmed and asked the President to resign.
Tinubu, however, reiterated his commitment, saying he receives continuous updates from the frontline and will not back down from the fight against criminality.
“Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku have been rescued… I am equally happy that 51 of the missing Catholic school students in Niger State have been recovered,” he said.
The President urged Nigerians to remain calm and support ongoing security operations, assuring that the government is working tirelessly to restore peace across the country.
