…Launches State-Level Expansion of Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Centre
…UK Condemns Murder of 38 Kidnap Victims After Ransom Payment
By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA — The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the rescue of the remaining 87 Chibok schoolgirls and Leah Sharibu still held in captivity by terrorists, saying efforts are ongoing despite the issue no longer dominating media headlines.
Major General Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, gave the assurance on Monday during a high-level event in Abuja.
“The Armed Forces and other security agencies have not relented. Aid workers from UNHCR, IOM and some of the Chibok girls were rescued through a combination of negotiations and operations. We are still actively pursuing the rescue of the 87 girls and Leah Sharibu. The fact that we are not in the news every day should not be interpreted as abandonment,” Laka stated.
He emphasized that some of the abducted girls have been recovered over time, with efforts still in motion for those remaining. “We are still on it. Our prayer is that the remaining girls will be rescued by God’s grace,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms. Gill Lever, condemned the recent killing of 38 kidnapped victims in Zamfara State after a reported ransom payment of N50 million was made.
“It’s an unspeakable crime. Even after ransom was paid, only a few were released, and the rest were killed. My condolences go to the families affected and the entire people of Zamfara State,” Ms. Lever said.
“This level of brutality damages people’s mental health, retards economic progress, and tears apart communities. We must end this,” she said, pledging the UK’s support to help Nigeria tackle kidnapping and related insecurity.
General Laka also announced a nationwide expansion programme of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAK FC), which was established in partnership with the UK’s National Crime Agency to improve operational responses to kidnapping incidents.
“This expansion is intended to close the gap between national-level coordination and state-level response. The evolving nature of kidnapping — from opportunistic attacks to structured criminal enterprise — requires a smarter, more connected response,” Laka explained.
He noted that the Fusion Cell has supported numerous rescue operations, disrupted several kidnapping networks, and enhanced inter-agency cooperation at the federal level. However, he emphasized that without effective coordination at the state level, gains at the national level could be undermined.
“We are building direct operational linkages between the Fusion Cell and state commands across the country. This will strengthen early warning systems, improve intelligence sharing, and accelerate response times,” he said.
Laka urged participating security officers to view the workshop as a mission rather than a routine meeting, charging them to bring forward their operational experiences and practical suggestions for reforming and strengthening the country’s anti-kidnap response strategy.
He also thanked the UK Government, the National Crime Agency, and other institutional partners for their continued support.
“Under the guidance of the National Security Adviser, we remain committed to building a safer Nigeria — a country where no family lives under the threat of abduction, and no community is held hostage by fear,” he concluded.
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