ABUJA, NIGERIA: The Special Assistant to Nigeria’s President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, stated on Monday, June 1, 2026, that the Federal Government of Nigeria will not publicly disclose rescue operations for abducted students because armed groups monitor social networks.
Okay News reports that Olusegun responded to online criticism regarding the government’s communication strategy following recent school abductions.
“The Kidnappers are on social media with us and follow the trends to get updates. You cannot possibly expect the government to update rescue plans on social media if you really have the interest of those kids at heart, and it is not just for performative purposes. Concerned, we must. Reckless, we mustn’t,” Olusegun said.
Olusegun said the primary focus of law enforcement agencies is securing the safe return of the victims.
“I understand your anger, but a large bulk of it should be reserved for the cowardly terrorists who use kids as human shields. These kids have to be rescued alive. It serves no purpose for our armed forces to charge in headfirst and hope for the best. They are kids, fgs!” he said.
Addressing sanctions for individuals sharing false information about security incidents, Olusegun said enforcement actions are the responsibility of security agencies rather than his office.
“It is not my job to arrest or publicly state with authority that anyone will be arrested for sharing false information. Everyone does their part. Mine is to debunk, yours is to amplify, while the law enforcement will do theirs,” he said.
In response to the abduction of pupils and teachers and the killing of a teacher in the Oriire Local Government Area, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu approved the immediate recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State.
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the recruitment process for the forest guards will begin in July 2026 to improve surveillance and counter-bandit operations in local forest corridors.
