Oyo rescue shows security forces can beat crime with support — Olawepo-Hashim

The presidential candidate of the Accord Party in the 2027 general election, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has commended Nigeria’s security agencies for rescuing victims abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after about 50 days in captivity, saying the operation demonstrates that criminal gangs can be defeated with sustained political support.

In a statement issued on Saturday and made available to The PidomNigeria, Hashim described the rescue as a major victory against insecurity, arguing that the country’s security challenges were not due to the inability of the armed forces but to the lack of consistent political direction and decisive leadership.

“We have never doubted the ability of Nigeria’s Defence Forces to secure the country. What has often been lacking is clarity of purpose and unwavering political leadership,” he said.

The former presidential candidate said the feat recorded in Oriire should serve as a template for a nationwide offensive against kidnappers, bandits and other violent criminal groups operating across the country.

According to him, the same determination that secured the victims’ freedom should be extended to communities still battling abductions and other forms of violent crime.

“The same determination that secured the freedom of the Oriire victims must now be deployed across every community where innocent Nigerians remain in captivity, including parts of Kwara, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kebbi states. No family should be left to suffer when the state has the capacity to act,” he stated.

Hashim, who is also co-chairman of the Movement for Democratic Renewal, urged the Federal Government to provide stronger political backing and strategic direction to security agencies to enable them to sustain the fight against insecurity.

He also called on the security chiefs to replicate similar rescue operations across affected parts of the country until kidnapped victims were freed and criminal networks dismantled.

“Above all, we must now take the fight to all terrorists occupying different parts of our country through an integrated strategy aimed at bringing an end to the terrorist war on our land,” he added.

Hashim cited the Nigerian military’s performance in international peacekeeping missions, particularly under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as evidence of the professionalism and capability of the country’s armed forces when adequately supported.

He congratulated personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services for what he described as their courage, professionalism and sacrifice in carrying out the rescue operation.

The politician also congratulated the rescued victims and their families, praying for their speedy physical, emotional and psychological recovery after their 50-day ordeal.

The latest rescue comes amid renewed concerns over the growing wave of kidnappings and bandit attacks across several parts of the country, particularly in the North-West, North-Central and parts of the South-West, where criminal gangs have continued to target commuters, farmers, students and rural communities for ransom.