Dennis Amachree, a former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, has delved into the contradictory narratives surrounding the Oyo school children's and their instructors' liberation from terrorists. He stated that the Federal Government's narrative of a rescue effort and the prisoners' version might both be accurate.
According to one of the liberated teachers, the terrorists freed them before the arrival of security personnel to transport them back to their homes. This was different from the government's previous stance that there was no prisoner exchange and the release came after a rescue operation involving arrests.
In an interview with TVC News on Monday, Amachree was asked how Nigerians should understand the two seemingly incompatible storylines. He said that the situation on the ground was flexible enough to allow for both.
He clarified that even as troops were encircling the prisoners, the terrorists might have pledged to release them.
"Well, since it's flexible, both can be the truth. It's a really fluid scenario. He remarked, "You know, some of them can say, 'Oh, we're almost releasing them, and then of course the security agents came in and then did everything."
He claimed that before any release occurred, the terrorists' hands had been essentially forced. He claimed that the terrorists had few options after troops surrounded them in the forest and cut off their food and communication.
"One crucial thing you have to understand is that the operation itself was one that was squeezing life out of the terrorists," he stated. The forest completely encircled them, and as they moved, they cut off all of their food sources.
"They severed all of their communication channels, and they really didn't have many options. "So they could say, 'Oh yeah, we're almost releasing them,' but they knew they had lost the game."
Amachree responded to some Nigerians' concerns about how much operational information security agencies should disclose during such rescues, saying the public should be happy that such information was disclosed at all, noting that comparable operations had previously been kept under wraps for years.
"Well, I think Nigerians should be happy that we're even talking about this because some of these things could be classified for years before we hear them," he stated. However, the DSS is able to publicly discuss it.
He said that information had also been provided by other security organizations. "Those who are aware of it are discussing it. The military is discussing it.
Many people still hold different beliefs, so at least this is being done to educate the public," he stated.
He stated that Nigerians who didn't think the security services could do what they did should be aware that terrorists existed and that one of their main goals was to gain notoriety. He warned against media coverage, especially on social media, that serves terrorist organizations' primary purpose of gaining notoriety. "The trend needs to change," he said.
"And let me assure you that there are terrorists, and publicity is one of their main goals. Naturally, the Nigerian media, particularly social media, is currently providing them with all the necessary publicity.
And we can't keep doing that. Additionally, I believe that the military has spoken out about it because they believe that the Nigerian people should at least be informed of what is happening. If not, some of these things might remain secret for years before the general public even learns about them," he stated.