The National Unity Forum (NUF), a non-governmental organisation that seeks to defend and promote Nigeria's unity in diversity, has commended the gallantry, resilience and professionalism of the nation's security forces for the successful tactical rescue operation of the 20 medical students kidnapped on Thursday, August 15, 2024, along the Otukpo-Enugu Road in Benue State on their way to a national convention.
In a statement issued by the Forums' National Coordinator, Hon. Godwin Meliga, the group praised the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their relentless commitment towards ensuring the safe and timely rescue of the victims, adding that the IGP and the NSA left no stone unturned in their determined quest to expeditiously get to the very bottom of the ugly incident.
Hon. Meliga further stated that the safe rescue of the victims without the payment of ransom to kidnappers was a soothing relief not just to their families, friends and colleagues, but to the entire nation, adding that it speaks volumes of the renewed commitment of the nation's security architecture towards protecting the lives and property of all citizens, while upholding national peace, unity and law and order.
"The successful rescue of the 20 medical students and others held by kidnappers for over one week at the Ntonkon forest in Ado Local Government of Benue State is a practical proof of the immense prospects of winning the war on insecurity in Nigeria through effective inter-agency collaboration; as well as coordinated synergy with local vigilantes and the civilian populace.
"We proudly commend the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Service, and the military and other statutory security forces that played frontline roles in the daring rescue operation. We specially appreciate the Office of the National Security Adviser for the swift deployment of all the requisite human, technical and logistical resources towards the successful prosecution of the rescue operation," stated Hon. Meliga.
The statement further stated that the rising spate of kidnapping for ransom is currently an existential security menace in Nigeria, especially as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) had hinted that it is a key source of funding for the activities of terrorist groups operating in the country.
"However, the fact that three helicopters, several drones and specialized tactical vehicles were used concurrently to facilitate the search and rescue operation of the kidnapped medical students sends a very clear warning to all kidnappers in the country that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it shall not be business as usual," NUF pointed out.
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Noting that the NUF shares in the profound joy of the safe rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of the kidnapped medical students and others in their company, Hon. Meliga wished all the victims speedy recovery from the physical, emotional and psychological trauma that must have been inflicted on them by their daredevil abductors.
While commending the nation's security forces for the successful neutralisation of the mastermind of the abduction and the arrest of two other members of the kidnap gang in the course of the rescue operation, Hon. Meliga urged them to intensify their investigations into the matter in their tenuous quest to arrest all the other perpetrators at large, including their likely sponsors and informants. The group equally advocated enhanced security measures to forestall a recurrence of the ugly incidence.
Finally, the NUF advocated improved funding and logistics for the nation's security architecture, while urging all members of the public to support the security forces in the war against insecurity by furnishing them with credible intelligence in order to achieve the extirpation of all terrorists and organised crime groups in the country.
