The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has defended the Federal Government’s response to the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, insisting that the administration acted swiftly and decisively following the incident.
Speaking during a television interview on Tuesday, Dare dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delayed responding to the abduction near Ogbomoso, saying government action began within hours of the attack.
According to him, the President immediately condemned the incident and directed security agencies to deploy resources to secure the release of the victims.
“The response of the federal government has not been slow. If you monitor the developments very steadily, when it occurred, in less than 24 hours there was a response a statement by Mr. President condemning it and activating all levers of the security organization to move to that place,” Dare said.
He added that within 48 hours of the attack, senior police officers were already engaging with affected communities. “Less than 48 hours after, the IG, Tunji Disu, personally went right into those villages to engage with the community leaders, the hunters, and the families and relatives of those involved. So, to say it was slow, it was not slow, but you have to follow a process,” he stated.
Dare said the President remained deeply concerned about the fate of the abducted victims and had directed both kinetic and non-kinetic security measures to address the situation in the affected communities within Oriire Local Government Area.
He disclosed that the government had activated special rescue units, deployed troops and military equipment to the area, and established security cordons around affected locations to improve rescue efforts and track down the perpetrators.
“When you add that to the ongoing efforts in terms of activating the special forces, those that have the skills for rescue, we already have teams like that. You look at the tanks, the soldiers that have gone there. The cordon that has been taking place, that area has been cordoned off to make sure that at least they are able to entrap both the attackers and their victims,” he said.
The presidential aide also revealed that President Tinubu had approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and supported the establishment of a military base in the area as part of broader efforts to improve security.
Dare noted that rescue operations require discretion and that the government could not publicly disclose all operational details. “When you also do rescue operations, everything is not out there on the open radar because sensitive information, movements of troops, and the rest are taking place. So, it has not been slow,” he said.
Addressing concerns about insecurity in Ogbomoso, he described the recent kidnappings as isolated incidents linked to the challenging terrain of the Old Forest Reserve, a vast forest belt stretching across several states.
He argued that policing such expansive forest areas remains difficult but stressed that the Federal Government has continued to increase its presence in the region through infrastructure and security projects.
Dare cited progress on the Oyo-Ogbomoso road project, saying the project had advanced significantly under the current administration. “The Oyo-Ogbomoso road was almost just 60 per cent completed and abandoned. We’ve seen the President take it over; it’s now at 87 per cent completion,” he said.
Rejecting suggestions that the deployment of forest guards and other interventions were reactionary measures, Dare maintained that the Tinubu administration has consistently demonstrated commitment to combating insecurity across the country.
He pointed to ongoing military operations in states including Yobe State, Borno State, Niger State and Kwara State, arguing that security forces have continued to pressure terrorist groups despite operational challenges and casualties among troops.
“I rate his performance high, very high,” Dare said while assessing the President’s handling of security. “Are there security challenges? Absolutely. Are these challenges being confronted? Absolutely.”
The presidential spokesman also dismissed claims that the high-level delegation sent to Ogbomoso was merely symbolic, noting that it included top security officials such as the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence and senior police leadership.
Beyond security, Dare defended the administration’s economic reforms, arguing that policies such as fuel subsidy removal, exchange-rate reforms and social intervention programmes had placed Nigeria on a path toward economic recovery.
“The question I always insist we interrogate is: where was this country when President Bola Tinubu took over in May 2023? What was the situation then? Where would we have been if he had not done anything?” he asked.
According to Dare, the administration’s reforms have delivered measurable progress, including growth in non-oil revenues, increased exports and a more diversified economy. He maintained that the government should be assessed based on long-term outcomes rather than short-term difficulties.
“We are having a diversification of our economy. The non-oil revenues are increasing. Our exports have gone up. We see a stable economy. We see initiatives and policies that are working. We see a president at work for Nigeria,” he said.
