A former Assistant Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mohammed Ngoshe, has detailed the high-pressure tactics used by security forces that compelled kidnappers in Oyo State to release abducted pupils and teachers after 56 days in captivity.
Ngoshe, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, credited the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for the successful rescue operation in Oriire Local Government Area. He urged Nigerians to commend the security operatives rather than criticise the handling of the operation.
According to him, security forces successfully isolated the kidnappers’ hideout, cut off their supply lines, and dismantled their network of informants.“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,” Ngoshe explained.
He added that the kidnappers were denied access to food, weapons, and external support. Informants were arrested and turned into assets, while videos of the tightening security cordon were shown to the abductors.
“Videos of all these operations were ferried to them, and they saw that they had no option but to surrender,” he stated.
Faced with overwhelming pressure and no lifeline from negotiations, the kidnappers eventually released the pupils and teachers to avoid total annihilation. Security forces then engaged the remaining criminals after the hostages were freed.
Ngoshe noted that three security personnel from the police, army, and other services lost their lives after stepping on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during the final push to encircle the kidnappers.
The former DSS chief dismissed calls for more transparency on the operation at this stage, emphasising that the priority remains celebrating the safe return of the victims.The abduction of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire had sparked widespread concern across Nigeria, prompting a coordinated multi-agency response that ultimately secured their unconditional release without ransom.
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