The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration had achieved over 80 per cent success in its anti-kidnaping operations.

He said the success followed the sacrifices of the security agencies and the effective coordination by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Ribadu spoke at the operationalisation of the Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAAKFC) at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja.

The NSA described kidnapping as one of the most pressing security threats, causing untold hardship among many families, disrupting economic activities, and posing a severe threat to national stability.

He said: “…In less than two years, we have achieved 80 per cent success. But we don’t talk about it. We have soldiers and personnel of other security agencies who are in the bush, sacrificing their lives to make this country a better place, to rescue it and take it back on track so that we will have a normal life.

“They are the unsung heroes; people don’t talk about them. It is easy to say things, but you don’t know what people are going through to get things done.

“This menace demands a robust, multi-agency approach, which the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell embodies.”

Ribadu urged the personnel of the fusion cell, who were drawn from different security agencies and intelligence communities, to use their expertise in combatting kidnapping in any part of the country.

The NSA advised them to synergise and leverage the knowledge they had acquired to ensure that the multi-agency fulfilled its mission to protect Nigerians and communities.

“The Federal Government recognises the importance of your work, and I remain committed to providing the resources and backing needed to enable you to succeed,” he said.

NCTC National Coordinator, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said Fusion Cell would serve as a “pivotal force in combating the menace of kidnapping by coordinating operational responses, analysing data to track trends, and building the capacity of security personnel”.

Laka recalled that between 2022 and 2024, the United Kingdom (UK), through the National Crime Agency (NCA), partnered the ONSA in providing capacity-building as well as in supporting the NCTC in setting up a kidnap fusion centre.

He said the outcome of the partnership culminated in the establishment of the cell with over 15 law enforcement agencies and stakeholders working together to fight kidnapping in the country.