Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has praised Nigeria’s security forces, indicating that they successfully rescued abducted schoolchildren in Niger State and helped thwart a military takeover in Benin Republic.
In a post on his X handle on Monday, Fani-Kayode said about 100 children abducted from a school in Papiri, Niger State, a few weeks ago were rescued by Nigerian security operatives.
The former minister also claimed that the Nigerian Armed Forces intervened to stop an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
He wrote, “100 children that were abducted from their school in Papiri, Niger state by terrorists a couple of weeks ago were rescued by our security forces yesterday, whilst our Armed Forces saved democracy in Benin Republic by sending fighter jets to bomb the hell out of a group of mutinous soldiers who had staged a coup.’’
According to him, Nigerian ground troops were mobilised across land borders, with personnel reportedly drawn from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry in Lagos State and Owode in Ogun State.
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He added, “Apart from bombarding the rebel forces via air operations, our ground forces were also mobilised across land borders, drawing personnel from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry, and Owode in Ogun State, to prevent the forceful takeover in Benin Republic, forcing the mutineers to retreat from strategic locations, including the national broadcaster and a major military camp where they had regrouped.”
Earlier reports had claimed the Federal Government secured the release of 100 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The development was reported by TVC News and Channels Television on Sunday, though federal authorities were yet to issue an official statement as of press time.
