Mohammed Ngoshe, a former Assistant Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, disclosed how security personnel compelled the abductors of Oriire Local Government Area students and teachers in Oyo State to free their hostages by encircling their refuge and blocking their supply routes.
Ngoshe, during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and various security agencies for their successful rescue mission, encouraging Nigerians to recognize their contributions.
He rejected the claims that the government and security agencies lacked transparency regarding the operation, asserting that the focus should be on praising the forces for rescuing the victims.
“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 eulogizing the state services and other security services for doing what they have done and doing it very well,” Ngoshe said.
Describing the operation’s progression, the ex-DSS official noted that security forces pinpointed the terrorists’ position, restricted their access to vital resources, and diminished their network of informants.
He stated that the pressure from security forces pushed the kidnappers to look for an escape from the predicament.
“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 stated that 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 mentioned 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.
