From Dispatch Room
A Lagos resident, Mr. Adewale Adedeji, has called on the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to adopt the same urgency and coordinated security approach that led to the successful rescue of three abducted schoolgirls in Lagos in 2016.
Adedeji made the call amid growing concern over the reported abduction of schoolchildren in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, arguing that the response mounted by the Lagos State Government under former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode remains a model worth emulating.
According to him, when three students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary in Ikorodu were kidnapped on February 29, 2016, the Lagos State Government immediately mobilized security agencies and maintained constant oversight of rescue efforts.
He recalled that Governor Ambode publicly condemned the incident, worked closely with security agencies including the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military, and demanded regular operational briefings throughout the rescue mission.
The girls—Timilehin Olusa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan, and Deborah Akinayo—were rescued six days later by security operatives in the Igbo Okuta/Imota area of Ikorodu without the payment of ransom.
Adedeji noted that the successful operation was widely praised by parents, school authorities, and community leaders, who described the government’s response as prompt and effective.
Drawing parallels with the current security challenge in Oyo State, he argued that swift action, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency coordination remain critical to securing the safe return of abducted children.
“Lagos demonstrated that political will combined with effective security collaboration can produce results within days rather than months,” he said.
The Lagos resident urged both the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to intensify ongoing efforts to locate and rescue any abducted children and to keep the public informed about progress being made.
He also advocated improved security infrastructure around educational institutions, including the deployment of surveillance systems linked to security agencies, to strengthen protection for students and school personnel.
Adedeji stressed that no Nigerian child should be left vulnerable to criminal elements and called for stronger preventive measures to safeguard schools across the country.
The appeal comes amid renewed national concern over school security and the persistent threat posed by kidnappers targeting educational institutions.
— Newspot Nigeria
