The Association of Proprietors of Private Media Establishment of Nigeria (APPMEN) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Armed Forces for the successful rescue of the schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the operation as a major victory in the country’s fight against insecurity.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Secretariat, the association praised the President for providing the political leadership that made the rescue possible and lauded the courage, professionalism and sacrifices of the military, intelligence operatives and other security agencies involved in the operation.
According to APPMEN, the successful rescue demonstrates that criminal groups can be defeated when strong political will is matched with effective intelligence gathering and coordinated military action.
The association, however, stressed that the achievement should not be viewed as an isolated success but as the beginning of a sustained nationwide campaign against kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and other violent criminal groups operating across the country.
“It is heartwarming that the abducted children and their teachers have been reunited with their families. This operation has renewed hope among Nigerians and has shown that with determination and strategic action, criminal elements have no safe haven,” the statement said.
To consolidate the gains, APPMEN called on the Federal Government to fully operationalise State Police, arguing that state-controlled security outfits, when properly funded, trained and integrated into the national security architecture, would strengthen intelligence gathering and provide faster responses to security threats at the grassroots.
The association also urged the government to strengthen border security through the deployment of modern surveillance technology, biometric border management systems and joint military patrols to curb the influx of illegal arms and criminal elements through Nigeria’s porous borders.
In addition, APPMEN advocated continuous air and ground offensives against criminal hideouts across the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-West and other troubled parts of the country. It also recommended improved intelligence sharing among security agencies to deny criminals safe havens.
The media body further proposed the activation of community-based security structures by equipping vetted vigilante groups and local hunters to complement the efforts of security agencies. It also called for the establishment of a national real-time database for kidnapping and missing persons cases to assist in tracking abductors, ransom payments and criminal networks.
APPMEN further urged the government to intensify efforts to dismantle the financial structures sustaining kidnapping and banditry by prosecuting sponsors, collaborators and other enablers of violent crimes. It equally called for improved security infrastructure in schools nationwide, including perimeter fencing, surveillance systems and emergency response mechanisms, particularly in vulnerable communities.
The association also advocated a nationwide public enlightenment campaign aimed at discouraging criminality, encouraging citizens to volunteer credible information to security agencies and rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s security institutions.
While reiterating that the protection of the lives of children, teachers, farmers and other Nigerians must remain a national priority, APPMEN pledged the support of private media organisations in promoting responsible journalism, public awareness and constructive engagement that would strengthen national security.
The association congratulated President Tinubu, the Armed Forces and other security agencies on the successful rescue operation and urged them to sustain the momentum until all Nigerians held captive regain their freedom and lasting peace is restored across the country.
