Untold story of Oriire rescue operation

•How General Rabbe’s episode influenced tactical charge by security agencies
•Security operatives rejected swapping of kidnapped victims with arrested terrorists’ commanders

AS residents of Oriire Local Government area of Oyo State heave a sigh of relief, following the rescue of 44 pupils and teachers from kidnappers, findings indicated that security operatives had engaged the abductors in fierce gun battles in their hideouts.

The terrorists had hitherto used the victims as human shields for about 56 days in captivity in the first of the National Park, in the local government area

The Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that the prolonged gun battles seriously impacted on the armoury of the terrorists, weakening their position to further consolidate on their hold on the kidnapped pupils and their teachers in the forest.

The sources in the security circle, privy to the chain of tactical moves that culminated in last Friday’s final onslaught against the criminals that led to the rescue of the victims, said the offensive was preceded by weeks of sustained troops’ onslaught on the kidnappers.

The military operation paid off as the terrorists suffered losses and were demoralised, as many of their members were killed.

“When the final operation commenced, the resistance was significantly lower than anticipated because they had already been weakened,” one of the dependable sources said.

This was coupled with the fact that no fewer than eight other terrorists were apprehended.

Recall that intelligence led the operation that culminated in the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire LGA.

A total 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers were abducted by terrorists on May 15.

One of the teachers was killed in captivity, while the remaining victims were rescued on July 10, during a coordinated operation involving the military and the DSS.

The sources said the circumstances that led to the recent unfortunate death of Major General Abubakar Rabbe in the hands of kidnappers in Katsina State also influenced the tactical approach the operatives deployed in the Oriire rescue operation.

It was gathered that the authorities decided to launch the final assault against the kidnappers rather than adopt the idea of prolonged negotiations that attended the abduction of Gen. Rabbe.

A source told the Nigerian Tribune that the Directorate of State Service (DSS) had earlier recommended a military assault on the kidnappers’ hideouts, based on intelligence that such an operation offered the best chance of rescuing the general and his wife.

But the authorities thought otherwise, thinking that negotiations could persuade the kidnappers to release General Rabbe, who unfortunately died in captivity due to medical complications.

Accordingly, the sad twist reportedly informed the paradigm shift in security strategy that prolonged negotiations with heavily armed terrorist groups sometimes carry greater risks than coordinated and carefully planned rescue operations backed by credible intelligence.

Further details on the operation said after weeks of well-coordinated synergy and intelligence gathering, coupled with military pressure, operatives of the DSS tracked down and arrested several wives and children of the kidnappers in different communities and cities across the country.”

The exercise was reportedly said to have been coordinated by a senior DSS official after security forces had already sealed off the terrorists’ escape routes and surrounded their hideout inside the National Park forest.

The sources stated that the family members were taken to the federal capital Abuja, where the wives were interrogated in accordance with investigative procedures.

Video recordings of the interrogations soon leaked to the kidnappers.

“The kidnappers suddenly became more responsive. They abandoned their earlier hardline position and started making frequent contact instead of disappearing after making demands,” a source stated.

Therefore, they resolved to have a rethink on their initial demands.

Further checks indicated that the arrest of members of the terrorists’ family reduced the possibility that the kidnappers could harm the hostages, as such actions could spell doom for their own relatives already under arrest.

As the operatives tightened the noose around the criminals and contact continued, the joint rescue force steadily cordoned off the terrorists’ hideout.

The final order to storm the camp was said to have been issued on Thursday night after fresh intelligence reportedly confirmed that the abducted schoolchildren and teachers were no longer being used as human shields.

The sources said the operation was not just swift with precision but it was also well coordinated and backed by overwhelming firepower, catching the terrorists unawares.

The source assured that the children of the suspects who have not been found culpable would be released, while any of their wives found to have actively participated in the criminal activities would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The authorities said the arrest of the terrorists’ family members is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s new policy of not paying ransom or negotiating with terrorists, sources revealed

The kidnappers initially demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related laws as conditions for freeing the victims.

They specifically requested the release of Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri. Both men are identified by security agencies as leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a breakaway faction of Boko Haram linked to al-Qaeda, and were arrested by DSS operatives in 2025. (Nigerian Tribune)