Nation on Edge: 38 Rescued in Kwara, 51 Pupils Escape in Niger as Security Crackdowns Intensify.

Authorities have confirmed the rescue of 38 worshippers abducted last week from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Kwara State, after days of intensified joint security operations. According to BushRadio, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the development through a statement on his verified X handle, saying he closely supervised the mission after cancelling his planned trip to the G20 Summit in Johannesburg to coordinate national security efforts.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The President said the freed worshippers were safely evacuated and that his administration remains committed to protecting citizens across the country. He also disclosed that 51 pupils earlier seized from a Catholic school in Niger State had returned to their families, adding that he had been in constant contact with field commanders throughout the period.

Tinubu praised security personnel for their commitment and said the government would further reinforce intelligence gathering, rapid-response capacity and inter-agency collaboration to combat terrorism and banditry. The successful operation in Kwara and the partial recovery of abducted schoolchildren in Niger came amid growing public anxiety over persistent attacks in the Northcentral and Northwest regions. The President recently ordered additional deployments, expanded counter-terrorism offensives and enhanced aerial surveillance.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed that all abducted church members had been reunited with their families, expressing appreciation to the President for what he described as direct intervention in the rescue operation. In Niger State, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, reported that 51 pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, had independently escaped from captivity and returned home. He said parents and school officials had been verifying the identities of the returned children across various communities. According to him, hundreds of pupils remain unaccounted for, including children of staff members, and he urged Nigerians to continue praying for their safe return.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago, however, downplayed claims that the incident constituted a mass abduction, saying early assessments suggested the students fled into the surrounding area following sporadic gunfire. He said satellite imagery did not show any large group movement suggesting coordinated kidnap activity. Bago assured that search teams were actively tracing remaining missing children.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV, during Mass at St. Peter’s Square, appealed for the immediate release of abducted pupils and staff still in captivity. The Pontiff expressed deep sorrow and urged authorities to take swift and decisive action.

The Defence Headquarters also reaffirmed that it had intensified rescue operations in Kebbi and Niger States. Military authorities said they were investigating allegations by Kebbi State officials that troops were withdrawn from a school shortly before gunmen struck, noting that standard procedures required a detailed review of such claims.

Federal lawmakers from Niger State described the incident as a reflection of the broader national security challenge and pledged full cooperation with security agencies to rescue all victims. They demanded stronger intelligence structures, increased security presence in vulnerable areas and greater support for the state government’s efforts.

In a separate operation, troops under Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke apprehended a notorious kidnap suspect, Umar Geyi, in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State. Security officials said the arrest followed credible intelligence, revealing that the suspect was involved in multiple kidnappings, including the abduction of a Fulani resident identified as Alhaji Jano. Military authorities said Geyi was detained after being intercepted during a phone call in which he confirmed the victim’s captivity and demanded a ₦20 million ransom. The suspect is undergoing interrogation as efforts continue to dismantle his network.