Oriire rescue shows gains from security coordination, says coalition

File: Oriire students and teachers rescued. By Luminous Jannamike

The successful rescue of 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire, Oyo State, points to improving coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies, the Coalition of Civil Rights Groups on Security Sector Reforms (CCRGSR) said on Monday.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the coalition said the operation, completed around July 10 after the victims were abducted in May, demonstrated how closer collaboration among the military, police and intelligence agencies was yielding better results against violent crime. Its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Agabi, credited the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, with coordinating the operation and also commended the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as stronger cooperation across the country’s security agencies. “We particularly laud the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, for his outstanding coordination of joint operations. General Olufemi Oluyede has masterfully orchestrated a paradigm shift where the Army, Navy, Air Force and other services view themselves as equal partners in a unified command structure,” Agabi said.

The coalition also credited the Nigeria Police Force with providing ground support, investigative work and community liaison, saying the collaboration contributed to the successful rescue. It added that recent security operations across several states had led to the rescue of hostages, the neutralisation of bandit groups, and the recovery of arms and rustled livestock, which it said reflected wider progress against criminal networks.

“Their resilience in the face of adversity has not only rescued innocent citizens but has also dismantled key elements of the criminal networks responsible for these heinous acts,” Agabi said. While welcoming the recent successes, the coalition urged the government to sustain investment in modern equipment, intelligence gathering, personnel training, civil-military relations and community policing to tackle insecurity, particularly in ungoverned areas. It also praised President Tinubu for supporting security agencies through improved funding, training and inter-agency cooperation, while urging the Nigeria Police Force to strengthen forensic investigations and partnerships with local vigilante groups and community security networks.