A former Assistant Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mohammed Ngoshe, has revealed how security forces pressured the kidnappers of Oriire Local Government Area pupils and teachers in Oyo State into releasing their captives after surrounding their hideout and cutting off their support channels.
Ngoshe, while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, praised the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for the successful rescue operation, urging Nigerians to acknowledge their efforts.
He dismissed criticisms that the government and security agencies were not open about the operation, saying the priority should be to commend the forces for securing the victims’ freedom.
“After all, the thing has now become a matter of public interest, so it is not going to be swept under the carpet for whatever reason, but I think the time is not right for all these kinds of comments to be made on the operation.
“I think we should be eulogising the state services and other security services for doing what they have done and doing it very well,” Ngoshe said.
Explaining how the operation unfolded, the former DSS official said security personnel isolated the terrorists’ location, blocked their access to essential supplies and weakened their network of informants.
According to him, the pressure mounted by security forces left the kidnappers seeking a way out of the situation.
“Now the problem, to them (the terrorists), was how to resolve the matter amicably. Amicably in the sense that they wanted a lifeline, and that lifeline did not come because the security forces did not accede to it,” he said.
Ngoshe said the security operation involved surrounding the area and restricting the movement of the criminals.
“There was a congregation of security forces, and positions were taken after the location was isolated. And the whole community around that place was dominated.
“They (terrorists) were denied access to food. They were denied access to weapons. Their informants were taken out and used as assets.
“Videos of all these operations were ferried to them, and they saw that they had no option but to surrender,” he stated.
He added that three security personnel were killed after stepping on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the operation as troops closed in on the kidnappers.
“It was in the process of closing in on them after they were encircled that the three forces from the police, army, and other security services that were lost through IED — they marched on IED and they were killed,” He added.
Ngoshe said the kidnappers eventually released the children after realising they could no longer withstand the security pressure.
He stated, “So getting to the level where they were to be annihilated completely, they gave out the children thinking that that will resolve the matter. After the children were successfully resolved, the Forces engaged them.”
The rescue operation involved security agencies after the pupils and teachers were abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, triggering widespread concern and a coordinated response from authorities.
