Fresh details have emerged on the intelligence driven operation that led to the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Ahoro Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to The Guardian, security sources disclosed that the arrest of family members of the kidnappers marked a major breakthrough in the operation after weeks of sustained intelligence gathering and coordinated military pressure.
The sources said operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, tracked and arrested several wives and children of the kidnappers in different communities across the country. The operation was reportedly coordinated by a senior DSS official after security forces had sealed off the terrorists’ escape routes and surrounded their hideout in the National Park forest.
The family members were subsequently taken to Abuja, where the wives were interrogated in line with investigative procedures. Security sources said video recordings of the interrogations were somehow leaked to the kidnappers, a development that reportedly unsettled the terrorists and changed the direction of negotiations.
One of the sources said the kidnappers, who had earlier maintained a hardline position, suddenly became more responsive and began making regular contact instead of disappearing after making demands.
According to the report, the kidnappers proposed releasing the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in exchange for the release of their wives and guarantees of safe passage. However, security agencies rejected the offer, insisting that the hostages must first be freed while the kidnappers would either surrender or face arrest or possible elimination during military operations.
Investigators believe the arrest of the kidnappers’ relatives reduced the likelihood of harm being inflicted on the captives, as the abductors feared possible consequences for their own family members.
While negotiations continued, the joint rescue force tightened its cordon around the terrorists’ hideout. A security source disclosed that the final order to launch the assault was issued on Thursday night after fresh intelligence confirmed that the abducted schoolchildren and teachers were no longer being used as human shields.
The source said the operation was swift, well coordinated and backed by overwhelming firepower, catching the terrorists by surprise. In the weeks leading to the assault, troops had engaged the terrorists in repeated gun battles that weakened their fighting capability and depleted their ammunition.
Another source stated that when the final operation began, the resistance encountered was significantly lower than expected because the terrorists had already been weakened by sustained military pressure.
During the operation, scores of terrorists were killed while eight others were arrested. Although members of the rescue team suffered casualties, all the surviving abducted schoolchildren and teachers were rescued safely.
Security sources further disclosed that the decision to launch the final assault instead of prolonging negotiations was influenced by lessons learnt from the abduction of retired Major General Abubakar Rabbe in Katsina State.
According to the sources, the DSS had previously recommended a military operation against the kidnappers responsible for the retired army officer’s abduction after concluding that it offered the best chance of securing the victims’ release.
Security officials said the outcome reinforced the view that prolonged negotiations with heavily armed terrorist groups may pose greater risks than carefully planned rescue operations supported by credible intelligence.
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