Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, says negotiating with Boko Haram was the “safest” means of rescuing the three abducted lecturers of the University of Maiduguri and 10 women from captivity.

The woman and lecturers were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in June and July, respectively.

The women were abducted from a police convoy in Borno state while going for a burial and the lecturers were taken hostage while on oil exploration in the Lake Chad basin.

Speaking on Monday at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and the freed captives, Daura said any attempt to rescue the victims forcefully could have endangered their lives.

The Nigerian Army on Monday, claims by the Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, that the military was responsible for the recent suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ attack and abduction of female students from Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi.

The military through the Deputy Director Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, described the allegations as unfortunate and far from the truth.

The State Governor had on Saturday while receiving his Borno State countertpart, blamed the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls on the withdrawal of security personnel from communities in the state.

He alleged that security check points were withdrawn from Dapchi and other communities, few days before the attack, a development which he believes gave room for the incident.

Troops in Borno killed five Boko Haram insurgents and captured a top commander of the group in the ongoing operation in Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad basin. Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyeama Nwachukwu, in a statement in Maiduguri, said troops also rescued three civilians, recovered vehicles and high calibre ammunition in various operations in the past two days.

The Nigerian Army has debunked media reports that it assisted the leader of Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau to escape arrest after troops of Operation DEEP PUNCH II closed in on him. Recall that some reports had indicated that the Military High Command ordered the withdrawal of troops that had almost effected the arrest of AShekau in a circumstance that was unclear. The development has triggered widespread allegations that the Army may have issued the order to facilitate his escape.

The Nigerian Army has appointed J.T.E. Chukwu, a brigadier general, as new Director, Army Public Relations.

The army also appointed M.A. Anka, a colonel, as new Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI).

The appointments were confirmed by outgoing Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, a brigadier general, in a statement on Thursday.

The Nigerian Army has flayed insinuations that troops movement under Operation DEEP PUNCH II was temporarily halted to aid Boko Haram Leader, Abubakar Shekau, escaped.

Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement issued in Maiduguri, dismissed the report as “not true”.

Nwachukwu said the ongoing clearance operation by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole under the operation DEEP PUNCH II was being executed according to plans.

He noted that troops movement were halted in view of the exigencies of time and in accordance with military plan and strategy, and not to give escape avenue to the insurgents’ leader.