Fresh details have emerged on the intelligence operation that led to the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted from communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after 56 days in captivity.
Security sources said operatives combined intelligence gathering with sustained military pressure. They said the strategy eventually forced the kidnappers to release the victims.
Security agencies tightened pressure
According to the sources, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) tracked and arrested several wives and children of the suspected kidnappers in different parts of the country.
The sources said a senior DSS official coordinated the operation. They added that security agencies sealed escape routes and surrounded the terrorists’ hideout inside the Old Oyo National Park forest.
Investigators later moved the arrested family members to Abuja. There, officials questioned the women as part of the ongoing investigation.
Leaked videos changed negotiations
Security sources disclosed that video recordings of the interrogations later reached the kidnappers.
According to one source, the development unsettled the terrorists. It also changed the direction of negotiations.
“The kidnappers suddenly became more responsive. They abandoned their earlier hardline position and started making frequent contact instead of disappearing after making demands.”
The sources said the kidnappers later proposed releasing the abducted pupils and teachers. In return, they wanted the release of their wives and guarantees of safe passage.
Meanwhile, security forces continued tightening the cordon around the hideout.
Final assault secured rescue
Another source familiar with the operation said security agencies approved the final assault on Thursday night.
According to the source, fresh intelligence confirmed that the captives were no longer serving as human shields before the operation began.
The source said the joint operation was swift and well coordinated. Security operatives also deployed overwhelming firepower and caught the terrorists off guard.
The rescue followed weeks of coordinated operations involving the Nigerian Army, the DSS and other security agencies.
Earlier, the military disclosed that the intelligence-led mission targeted the kidnappers’ network, logistics chain and hideouts. It said those operations paved the way for the victims’ rescue.
What happens next?
Security agencies are expected to continue operations against the remaining members of the kidnapping network. Authorities also pledged to sustain pressure on criminal groups operating in the area.
