A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, says the differing accounts surrounding the rescue of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and their teachers are not necessarily contradictory, insisting that both versions could be correct.
The controversy arose after one of the freed teachers claimed the terrorists released the captives before security operatives arrived to take them home. The account differed from the Federal Government’s position that the victims regained their freedom through a rescue operation that involved arrests and no prisoner exchange.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News on Monday, Amachree said the circumstances surrounding such operations are often fluid, making it possible for both narratives to be true.
According to him, the terrorists may have decided to release the captives as security forces closed in on their location, effectively forcing their hand before the operation was concluded.
He explained that troops had surrounded the terrorists’ hideout in the forest, cut off their food supplies and disrupted their communication channels, leaving them with few options.
Amachree said the pressure mounted by security forces may have prompted the terrorists to release the victims before they were eventually secured by operatives.
Commenting on calls for greater transparency from security agencies, the former DSS official said Nigerians should appreciate the fact that details of the operation were made public, noting that similar missions had often remained classified for years.
He added that the DSS and the military had provided information to keep the public informed and address doubts about the operation.
Amachree also warned against giving terrorist groups excessive media attention, particularly on social media, saying publicity is one of their key objectives. He urged the media and the public to avoid amplifying narratives that could serve the interests of such groups.
