● Gov Abdukrazaq thanks President, NSA, Security Services for suxcessful rescue operations
In a breakthrough, President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the successful rescue of all 38 worshippers kidnapped from Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
The rescue operation, personally coordinated by the President, was carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Sunday.
According to sources, the President took charge of the operation, working closely with security agencies and taking round-the-clock briefings.
He even cancelled his scheduled trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to oversee the rescue efforts.
The rescued worshippers, comprising 26 females and 12 males, included children as young as five and adults up to 67 years old.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq praised President Tinubu’s hands-on approach, thanking him for his direct initiative that led to the rescue.
The Governor also expressed gratitude to the Office of the National Security Adviser, DSS, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Intelligence Agency, and Nigeria Police for their roles in the operation.
The President has directed heightened security deployments in Kwara State, underscoring his commitment to the safety and wellbeing of citizens.
In a statement, President Tinubu vowed that his administration will not relent until every Nigerian is safe, saying, “Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people”
Amid pomp and ceremony attending the suucessfully orchestrated rescue operations by President Tinubu, THE CONCLAVE reports how, like the raid on Entebbe, Uganda by the Israeli forces that resulted in the seamless rescue of Israeli hostages, the kidnapped church worshippers of Eruku, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State, were rescued by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at 3.20 pm on Sunday.
Security sources chronicled the successful operation that had the imprimatur of President Tinubu’s personal coordination of the strategies that were presented to him by heads of security agencies.
Recall that several AK-47 – wielding men had last Wednesday invaded the Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, Kwara State, shooting at worshippers.
At the end of the bloody attack, which was inadvertently streamed live, two worshippers lay dead with several others wounded.
The gunmen thereafter fled into the bush with 38 other worshippers, triggering international outrage.
However, after the dramatic rescue, the state governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, thanked President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as well as the DSS Director General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, and heads of other security services, for bringing relief to millions the world over who had been on edge for days.
THE CONCLAVE reports sources to have disclosed that the President had personally taken charge of coordinating the operations, taking round-the-clock briefings, weighing the options, and resolving to go to extreme lengths to prove wrong all those accusing his administration of not protecting Christians and non-Christians enough.
Tinubu confirms rescue of 38 Eruku abductees, 51 Niger school students recovered
The sources further disclosed that the president’s personal involvement triggered an unprecedented intelligence mapping and aerial surveillance by the Office of the NSA, resulting in DSS operatives swooping on established coordinates in the forests of Oreke Okeigbo, in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara State.
According to the sources, the president approved the Sunday raid by the DSS and the Nigeria Air Force, culminating in the rescue of the victims.
The sources said the operation was highly classified, and so they couldn’t tell if the kidnappers fled on sighting the security operatives or were eliminated.
The sources drew attention to the fact that some gunmen had in June attacked a marble mining company in the same area, killing two policemen, and kidnapped some Chinese workers.
A comprehensive breakdown of the 38 rescued kidnapped church worshippers showed that 26 of them were females, while the remaining 12 were males.
The oldest victim was 67 years old, while the youngest worshipper was five.
Four other rescued victims were six and nine years. Two of them were 10 years old; three were in their pre-teens, four were teenagers, while the rest were between 20 and 58 years old, according to the sources.
■ Full text of Statement by Kwara Governor thanking President Tinubu, security agencies…
A statement by Governor Abdukrazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, said his boss commended President Tinubu’s hands-on approach to making the “Eruku 38” regain freedom.
“The Governor says this is wholly due to the hands-on approach of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, who has personally led the efforts to free the abductees.
“The abductees were freed today, November 23. The Governor is immensely grateful to President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for his direct initiative that made this happen.
“The President had called off his scheduled trip for the G20 Meeting in South Africa to attend to the breaches in Kwara and Kebbi States. He had also directed heightened security deployments to Kwara, in what underlined his firm commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our people and Nigerians as a whole,” said the media aide.
“The Governor also expresses appreciation to the Office of the National Security Adviser; the Department of State Services (DSS); the Nigerian Army; Nigeria Intelligence Agency; and, of course, the Nigeria Police, which has graciously deployed four new tactical teams to Kwara State on the directive of the President,” he noted.
“The Governor also thanks members of the security forces across board, thought leaders, religious institutions, and all Kwarans for their support and goodwill since the unfortunate incident,” declared the governor’s spokesperson.
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