Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has praised the Nigerian Army for the swift and decisive operation that led to the rescue of 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

The girls, aged between 15 and 20, were seized last Sunday while harvesting crops on their family farmlands.

According to the Nigerian Army, troops of Operation HADIN KAI launched an intelligence-driven mission in the southern Borno axis and successfully freed the victims on Saturday.

They have since been evacuated to a secure medical facility for full treatment and rehabilitation.

Ndume, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, in a statement issued in Abuja, commended the courage, professionalism and quick response of the military personnel who executed the risky operation.

He lauded the resilience of soldiers battling insurgency across the state despite the harsh conditions and operational constraints they routinely face.

He said, “Over the weekend, men of the Nigerian Army in theatre operation in Borno State achieved another landmark military exercise with the successful rescue operation of all the 12 abducted teenagers who had been in captivity.

“That successful operation was another significant statement on professionalism and selflessness.”

He saluted the troops’ patriotism, urging them to remain steadfast in combating the insurgents, whom he described as “evil forces driven by vain glorification to cow the rest of us.”

Ndume, however, stressed that the morale and effectiveness of the military must be supported with stronger commitments from the Federal Government.

He reiterated his long-standing advocacy for improved funding, enhanced logistics, and a comprehensive review of remuneration for officers and soldiers on the frontlines.

According to him, sustained victories against terrorism depend not only on the courage of the troops but on deliberate investment in equipment, welfare, intelligence capability and sustained operational support.

He insisted that the rescue of the teenage girls demonstrates what the armed forces can achieve when adequately equipped and motivated, calling on the government to treat defence funding as a national priority.

Ndume reaffirmed his commitment to supporting legislative interventions that strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

He urged communities in affected areas to maintain cooperation with security agencies to accelerate the defeat of insurgency in the region.

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