President Bola Tinubu has announced the rescue of 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State, and 51 of the students kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State, describing the developments as evidence of intensified national security efforts.

In a statement on Sunday, the President said he cancelled his planned trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to personally coordinate security operations at home. He affirmed that he is receiving continuous updates from the frontline and pledged that his administration will not relent until every Nigerian can live safely in any part of the country.

“Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people,” Tinubu said.

Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON) has publicly commended the President for what he described as a decisive and hands-on approach that led to the release of the 38 abducted worshippers from Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said the abductees regained freedom on Sunday following days of coordinated efforts by security agencies and federal authorities. AbdulRazaq attributed the success directly to President Tinubu’s intervention, noting that the President ordered heightened security deployments to the state and halted his international engagement to focus on the crisis.

The governor also expressed gratitude to the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, and the Nigeria Police Force, which deployed four additional tactical teams to Kwara on the President’s directive.

He further thanked religious leaders, community stakeholders and residents of the state for their solidarity throughout the ordeal.