Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has applauded the rescue of the Oyo schoolchildren and teachers, saying it is “worthy of thanksgiving”.
He expressed his joy over the development on Saturday in a post shared via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
He said he was greatly relieved and delighted to learn of the safe rescue of the schoolchildren, who were abducted by bandits in May.
He, however, noted that recurring incidents of kidnapping, particularly of schoolchildren, underscore the urgent need to strengthen the nation’s security architecture and make the protection of lives and property the foremost responsibility of government.
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The former Anambra State governor went on to appreciate all those whose “efforts made their freedom possible”, especially the security agencies.
Reacting to the breakthrough via his official page, Obi wrote: “This is worthy of thanksgiving. I sincerely thank all those whose tireless efforts made their freedom possible, especially the security personnel and everyone who worked behind the scenes.
”While we celebrate this happy outcome, we must remember that no child should ever have to endure such trauma.
”The recurring incidents of kidnapping, particularly of schoolchildren, underscore the urgent need to strengthen our security architecture and make the protection of lives and property the foremost responsibility of government.
”Our children deserve to learn in an atmosphere of safety, not fear. We must continue to work towards building a Nigeria where every child can pursue education without the threat of violence or abduction.
”I rejoice with the children, their families, their schools, and all Nigerians on this heartening development.”