The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has condemned the abduction of 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State, as well as the violent attack and abduction of Christian worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State.
NOA’s Deputy Director of Communication and Media, Paul Odenyi, in a release said the Agency viewed both incidents with deep concern, stressed that such acts undermined national peace and the fundamental rights of citizens.
He quoted the Director General of the Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, as describing the abduction of the schoolgirls as a reprehensible assault on children’s rights to safety and education. Issa-Onilu said no child seeking education should be exposed to harm, insisting that schools must remain safe environments where children can learn and aspire without fear.
On the attack on Christian worshippers in Kwara State, the DG expressed heartfelt condolences to victims and their families, called the incident senseless and unacceptable. He warned that attacks based on faith threatened the peace, unity, and religious harmony that Nigerians have long worked to preserve.
Issa-Onilu reaffirmed that freedom of worship is a constitutional right, describing any attempt to harm citizens on religious grounds as unlawful and unpatriotic. He assured Nigerians that, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, security agencies are intensifying coordinated operations and intelligence efforts to secure the swift release of the abducted schoolgirls and worshippers.
He further highlighted NOA’s monthly National Security Briefing as part of the Agency’s efforts to keep citizens informed about progress recorded by security and regulatory agencies nationwide. Issa-Onilu urged Nigerians to support security efforts by providing timely and useful information that could help prevent further attacks.
