Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has vowed a tough crackdown on kidnappers, particularly those targeting schoolchildren, if elected president in 2027.

Obi made the pledge on Wednesday during a town hall meeting with party stakeholders and NDC supporters in Calabar, Cross River State.

He said his administration would not tolerate kidnapping or attacks on schoolchildren, promising that security agencies would pursue abductors into their hideouts to secure the victims’ release.

“Anybody that kidnaps school children and goes into the bush, we will be in that bush with him, wherever it is. We are not scared of him,” he said.

Obi also pledged to unite the country, tackle corruption and increase investment in education and healthcare, describing the sectors as critical to national development.

He said his candidacy represented a new Nigeria built on shared responsibility and a commitment to transforming the country.