A former operative of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), Seyi Adetayo, has claimed that the release of abducted pupils, teachers and caregivers in Oyo State was achieved through an intelligence-driven operation that mounted pressure on the families and close associates of the terrorist group, Ansarul, rather than negotiations with the kidnappers.
Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Adetayo said the operation followed months of intelligence gathering after the 2024 arrest of two senior Ansarul commanders, Abbas Mukhtar and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mamuda.
He alleged that the arrests prompted the group to plan the Oyo abduction in a bid to force the Federal Government to release the detained leaders.
According to him, the terrorists deliberately targeted Oyo State because of its proximity to forest hideouts and the political significance of attacking the South-West, a move he said was intended to generate national attention and increase pressure on the government.
Adetayo maintained that security agencies rejected negotiations and instead relied on intelligence, surveillance and technology to identify and arrest the relatives and close associates of the suspected kidnappers across several northern states.
He further claimed that security operatives recorded videos of the arrested relatives and sent them to the abductors with a warning that any harm done to the hostages would attract consequences for their own family members.
The former DSS operative also said troops swiftly surrounded the kidnappers before they could relocate the victims from Oyo forests to the Kainji axis, which he described as the group’s operational base, preventing what could have become a more complicated rescue mission.
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He commended the Federal Government for refusing to negotiate with the abductors, arguing that paying ransom or accepting the terrorists’ demands would have undermined Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts and international security partnerships.
Adetayo added that lessons learned from the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction influenced the rapid response, with security forces immediately sealing off the forest area and disrupting the kidnappers’ communications.
The Federal Government has not officially confirmed the specific operational details outlined by the former DSS operative.
The victims, abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, regained their freedom on July 10 after an intelligence-led operation involving multiple security agencies, the Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun), local vigilantes and hunters.
