A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has said the conflicting accounts surrounding the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State do not necessarily contradict each other, insisting that both versions could accurately reflect what happened during the operation.
The clarification follows differing narratives after the victims regained their freedom. While one of the rescued teachers said the terrorists released the captives before security operatives arrived to escort them to safety, the Federal Government maintained that the victims were freed through a coordinated rescue operation that involved the arrest of suspects without any prisoner exchange.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News on Monday, Amachree explained that hostage rescue operations are often fluid, making it possible for different people involved to witness different aspects of the same event.
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“Both can exist as the truth because the situation is very fluid,” he said. “They may have said they were about to release them, and then the security agents came in and completed the operation.”
According to the former intelligence officer, security forces had already weakened the terrorists before the captives regained their freedom by surrounding their hideouts, cutting off food supplies and disrupting communication channels.
“The operation was squeezing the life out of the terrorists. They were surrounded in the forest, their food supply routes were cut off and their communication links disrupted. They had very limited options,” he said.
Amachree argued that even if the kidnappers claimed they voluntarily released the victims, the sustained military pressure had already left them with little choice.
He also defended the decision by security agencies to publicly discuss aspects of the operation, noting that intelligence missions are often kept confidential for years.
According to him, the DSS and the military released information to reassure Nigerians and counter misleading narratives surrounding the rescue.
The former DSS director further warned against amplifying terrorist propaganda, saying publicity remains one of the major objectives of extremist groups.
“Terrorists exist and one of their major objectives is publicity. Social media is giving them all the publicity they need, and we cannot continue doing that,” he said.
The differing accounts have continued to attract public attention since the victims regained their freedom, with many Nigerians seeking clarity on how the rescue unfolded.
The Federal Government has maintained that no ransom was paid and no prisoner exchange took place, insisting the operation was driven by coordinated intelligence and sustained security action.
