SOKOTO, Nigeria — The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has warmly welcomed the successful rescue of abducted school pupils and their teachers in Oyo State. While celebrating their liberation, the prominent traditional and religious leader strongly urged the Federal Government and national security apparatus to channel the same intensity toward securing the release of schoolchildren recently taken captive in Borno State.
The Sultan's appeal was delivered on Friday through an official statement released by his media communications team. He conveyed deep relief over the safe recovery of the Oyo pupils and educators, who endured a grueling 56 days in the custody of their captors. He praised the synchronized operational efforts of the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, and the various security and intelligence networks that collaborated to bring the victims home.
According to the monarch, the successful rescue operation should breathe renewed hope into Nigeria's ongoing anti-banditry and counter-insurgency campaigns. He emphasized that this positive outcome underscores the vital necessity of sustained, transparent collaboration among state actors, security agencies, and ordinary citizens. He noted that the exact same level of institutional dedication must now be demonstrated by the federal administration, the Borno State Government, and frontline military units to free the Borno children, reiterating that every Nigerian life is equally precious and deserving of maximum state protection.
Broadening his message to the nation, the Sultan called on all Nigerians to completely reject any justifications for criminality, explicitly condemning terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and ritual murders. He stressed that no legitimate faith condones violence or predatory criminal actions against innocent people. He concluded by urging religious figures and community members to actively cooperate with law enforcement to expose criminal elements hiding within their neighborhoods, while offering prayers for the psychological and physical recovery of the rescued Oyo victims.
