Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday assured protesting teachers and civil society organisations that abducted teachers and students would soon regain their freedom, even as he cautioned against politicising the nation’s security challenges.
Wike gave the assurance when demonstrators stormed the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat in Abuja to demand the immediate rescue of victims of recent school kidnappings.
The minister said the Federal Government and security agencies were working tirelessly to secure the release of those in captivity, stressing that the plight of the victims remained a top priority.
“We are all concerned about this security situation. The government is on its toes to ensure that those who are kidnapped are rescued,” he said.
Expressing confidence in ongoing rescue efforts, Wike said security agencies were doing everything possible to ensure the victims returned home safely.
“I have that confidence that the security system will do all they can to make sure the teachers and the students that are being kidnapped are rescued. And let it be prompt,” he added.
The FCT minister, however, frowned at attempts to turn insecurity into a political issue, insisting that kidnapping and other security threats should be seen as a collective national concern.
He noted that teachers had been abducted in other parts of the country without attracting similar protests in Abuja.
“I don’t like politicising anything that happens. We have said here that teachers are being kidnapped in other states before; why was there no protest in Abuja? Does it mean that the teachers in Abuja are not important?” he queried.
Wike maintained that while citizens had every right to demand action from government, security matters should not be exploited for political gains.
“We are all concerned, but let us not politicise issues. That is what I will not support. We are all concerned about the security situation and how the teachers and students should be released,” he said.
The minister disclosed that security agencies were making significant progress in efforts to rescue the victims and were operating within laid-down security protocols.
“There is no government that will deliberately say let citizens be kidnapped, but we know where we found ourselves and we know that everything possible is being done,” he stated.
Calling for national unity, Wike urged Nigerians to treat insecurity as a shared challenge, regardless of where incidents occur.
“What concerns you concerns everybody, and what concerns Abuja also concerns everybody. We are all looking at how people should rise up with the same dedication,” he said.
The protest came amid growing public outrage over recurring school kidnappings across the country, with teachers’ unions and civil society groups demanding stronger measures to protect schools and secure the release of victims.
