Former Department of State Services (DSS) operative Seyi Adetayo has dismissed suggestions that the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State was carried out within a day or two of the governor’s reported presidential declaration, describing the operation as one that likely required extensive planning.
Speaking during a TVC interview on the rescue of the abducted victims, Adetayo said:
“International terrorist organizations don’t plan operations within a day or two days. It can take them up to six months. These are professionals, and it’s something they’ve been doing for years.”
Adetayo further explained that security agencies relied heavily on intelligence and technology to identify those connected to the kidn@ppingnetwork. According to him, the DSS already had prior information on some suspects and subsequently traced their associates and family members across several states.
The former DSS operative stated that the operation involved identifying and arresting associates and close contacts linked to the suspects.
He noted that this strategy was part of the broader pressure mounted on the kidnappers while authorities maintained communication with the group.
On the kidn@ppers’ reported demand for the release of one of their kingpins facing prosecution, Adetayo described the government’s refusal as a significant national security decision, emphasizing that authorities remained strategic and persistent throughout the operation.
He also revealed that the kidn@ppers were still within the Oyo forest at the time of the rescue.
According to him, security forces acted swiftly to encircle the area and prevent the movement of the victims to the Kainji forest, which he described as the group’s base.
Adetayo contrasted the operation with the response to the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, arguing that the quicker response in the Oyo case helped prevent a more prolonged and difficult rescue situation.
