Ex-DSS operative reveals intelligence behind Oyo pupils’ rescue

A former operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Seyi Adetayo, has disclosed that the rescue of abducted pupils, teachers and caregivers in Oyo State was achieved through an intelligence-led operation targeting the families and associates of suspected Ansarul terrorists rather than negotiations with the kidnappers.

Speaking during an interview on TVC, Adetayo said security agencies spent months gathering intelligence and planning the operation after the arrest of two senior Ansarul leaders, Abbas Mukhtar and Abubakar Abba, in 2024.

According to him, the arrests heightened pressure within the terrorist group, prompting members to abduct the victims in an attempt to force the Federal Government to release their detained leaders.

He said the kidnappers deliberately chose Oyo State because of its proximity to forest hideouts and the political significance of the South-West, noting that an attack in the region would attract widespread national attention.

Adetayo explained that the government rejected negotiations with the abductors and instead deployed intelligence and technology to identify and track the terrorists’ relatives and close associates across several northern states.

He claimed security operatives arrested some of the suspects’ family members and associates before sending video evidence of the arrests to the kidnappers as part of efforts to pressure them into releasing the victims.

According to him, troops also moved swiftly to prevent the abductors from relocating the hostages from forests in Oyo State to the Kainji forest, which he described as the group’s operational base.

“The government deserves commendation for refusing to negotiate with the terrorists. The only option was a rescue operation built on intelligence because many of the victims were very young children,” he said.

Adetayo added that lessons learnt from the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction influenced the rapid response by security agencies, preventing the captives from being moved deeper into terrorist-controlled territory.

He noted that security forces sealed off escape routes, disrupted communications within the forest and sustained pressure on the kidnappers until the victims regained their freedom.

The former DSS operative’s account follows the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers, who were freed on July 10 after spending nearly two months in captivity.

Security agencies have since confirmed that the operation led to the arrest of several suspected kidnappers, while others were killed during the rescue mission.