The Presidency has dismissed claims that the Federal Government and security agencies gave preferential treatment to the kidnapping case involving the sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and her twin sons, insisting that it is wrong to compare the incident with the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
The clarification came amid public discussions over the rescue of Adelabu’s sister and her children and concerns about the fate of pupils and teachers who were abducted in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, addressed the issue in a post on his verified X account on Sunday.
Ajayi argued that the two incidents involved different categories of criminals, different operational environments and different security challenges, making direct comparisons inappropriate.
According to him, those suggesting that security agencies acted faster because the victims were related to a prominent political figure were overlooking important differences between the two cases.
The presidential aide stressed that both incidents remain important to the government and security agencies, but noted that the methods required to secure the victims are not the same.
“It’s totally wrong to compare these two abduction incidents,” Ajayi said.
“The two sets of criminals have different motivations and agendas.”
The comments came less than 24 hours after the successful rescue of Adelabu’s sister and her twin sons by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
The victims were reportedly freed from a kidnappers’ hideout late on Saturday after a security operation that led to their recovery.
The rescue attracted widespread attention across the country, with many Nigerians welcoming the development and praising security personnel involved in the operation.
However, the successful rescue also triggered questions from some members of the public who wondered why other kidnapping victims, particularly schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, had not yet been rescued.
Responding to such concerns, Ajayi explained that the circumstances surrounding the two cases were fundamentally different.
According to him, the kidnappers who abducted Adelabu’s sister and her children were urban criminals whose primary objective was financial gain.
He noted that the suspects allegedly kept their victims inside a residential apartment within a community, making security operations different from cases involving heavily armed groups operating in remote forests and bush locations.
The presidential spokesman contrasted this with the Ogbomoso school abduction, which involved criminals operating from difficult terrain away from urban centres.
“It is wrong to compare the urban gang of kidnappers who engage in copycat crime to make money and hide victims inside a flat within the community to a band of terrorists operating deep inside the bush,” he stated.
Operations in urban areas may sometimes be easier to execute because of better access to intelligence, communications and surveillance opportunities.
In contrast, rescue missions involving victims held in forests or remote camps often require extensive planning and coordination to avoid endangering lives.
Ajayi insisted that the Federal Government remains committed to securing the release of all kidnapped persons regardless of their social status, political connections or background.
He rejected claims that government agencies were selective in their response to kidnapping incidents.
According to him, efforts are ongoing to secure the freedom of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State.
“The Ogbomoso children and their teachers will be rescued,” he said.
“Government and security agencies are not as selective as falsely claimed. The approach to the two incidents can’t be the same.”
The abduction of schoolchildren has become one of the most troubling security challenges facing Nigeria in recent years.
Since the mass kidnapping of students from schools in several northern states, concerns have grown about the vulnerability of educational institutions to attacks by criminal groups.
Although security agencies have succeeded in rescuing many victims over the years, several incidents have highlighted the difficulties involved in securing hostages held in remote locations.
Kidnapping for ransom has also spread beyond the North-West and North-East to other regions of the country, including parts of the South-West.
Criminal gangs increasingly target travellers, business owners, students and residents, creating fear in many communities.
The Federal Government has repeatedly pledged to strengthen security operations and improve intelligence gathering to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Recent months have seen increased collaboration among the police, military and other security agencies aimed at dismantling criminal networks responsible for abductions.
The successful rescue of Adelabu’s sister and her children is one of several recent operations carried out by security agencies against kidnappers.
Authorities say intelligence-led operations have contributed to the rescue of victims and the arrest of suspects in different parts of the country.
Despite these successes, pressure remains on security agencies to secure the release of victims still in captivity and bring perpetrators to justice.
Ajayi urged Nigerians to focus on celebrating the safe return of the rescued victims while continuing to pray for those who remain in the hands of abductors.
“We should be happy that the woman and her twins are safely home while we pray for quicker rescue of those still in the bush with their abductors,” he said.
His remarks reflect the government’s position that while every kidnapping case deserves attention, the strategies used to resolve them must be guided by the specific circumstances involved.