Oyo Captives, FG May Both Be Right On Rescue Narrative — Ex-DSS Director

A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has said the conflicting accounts surrounding the release of abducted Oyo schoolchildren and their teachers could both be accurate, describing the situation as fluid.

Amachree made the remarks during an interview on TVC News on Monday while reacting to differing narratives from the Federal Government and one of the freed teachers on how the captives regained their freedom.

The Federal Government had maintained that the victims were rescued during a security operation that led to the arrest of suspects, insisting there was no prisoner exchange.

However, one of the released teachers claimed the terrorists had already freed them before security operatives arrived to escort them home.

Responding to the apparent contradiction, Amachree said the terrorists may have planned to release the captives while security forces were simultaneously closing in on them.

“Well both can exist as the truth because see it’s fluid. The situation is very very fluid. You know some of them can say oh we’re almost releasing them and then of course the security agents came in and then did everything,” he said.

He explained that the security operation had left the terrorists with little room to manoeuvre.

According to him, troops surrounded the terrorists in the forest, cutting off their food supplies and communication channels until they had no viable options.

“One important thing you have to realize is that the operation itself you know was one that was squeezing life out of the terrorists. They were totally surrounded in that forest and as they’re moving they cut off all their food supplies.

“They cut off all their communication you know links and they were in fact they don’t have much options you know,

“So they could tell you that ‘oh yeah we’re almost releasing them’ but they knew that they’ve lost the game.”

Speaking on concerns over the amount of information security agencies released after the operation, Amachree said Nigerians should appreciate the level of transparency, noting that similar operations were often kept classified for years.

“Well I think Nigerians should be happy that we’re even discussing this because some of these things could be classified for years before we hear them. But the DSS is able to come out and even talk about it.”

He added that other security agencies had also provided details of the operation.

“Other people that are in the know are talking about it. The military is talking about it. So at least this just to inform the public because there are a lot of people who are still believing otherwise,” he said.

Amachree also warned against giving terrorist groups excessive publicity, saying media attention, particularly on social media, often advances one of their key objectives.

“And let me tell you terrorists exist and one of their major objective is publicity. And of course the Nigerian press especially social media now is giving them all the publicity they need.

“And we cannot continue doing that. And I think the military has come out to talk about it because they feel that they should at least tell the Nigerian public what is going on. Otherwise some of these things could be classified for years before they even come to public knowledge,” he said.