The former DSS boss said Oyo’s rescue tactics could not work in the north

Former Assistant Director General of the Department of Foreign Services, Mohammed Ngoshe, has stated that the tactics used in the rescue of kidnapped students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of ​​Oyo State cannot be replicated in the northern part of the country.

Explaining why similar results have not been achieved in some northern states despite the capabilities of security agencies, the retired DSS chief said each operation was shaped by different circumstances.

Ngoshe stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday.

He spoke amid questions about why the coordinated operations that led to the rescue of the Oyo victims after 56 days of captivity were not replicated in states like Borno, Plateau and Benue, where mass kidnappings and attacks also occurred.

“You are right. There are mass kidnappings. But first, I want to address the issue of trust deficit. Nigerians, please, you must learn to trust your soldiers. These people worked hard and they achieved success in their own way.

“For every successful operation you see against Nigeria, there are definitely more than five to ten operations that are foiled. These are not easy successes to achieve. So the issue of trust deficit must be resolved,” he said.

Ngoshe argued that the circumstances surrounding Oriire’s abduction were different from those in other parts of the country.

“Every case, every security operation, has its own dynamics. What happened in Oriire may not be the same as what happened in Borno.

“The political aspects and other considerations weighing on the minds of the terrorists in entering Oriire are not the same as the considerations given to the problem in Gwoza.

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“I am from Gwoza, and Gwoza was attacked. Many of our people are still being held captive. Our situation is very different from what happened in Oriire,” he said.

He also attributed the recurring violence in Plateau State largely to inter-communal backlash.

“The problem in Plateau, if you look at it critically, has a lot to do with counter attacks. When you attack a Berom citizen and kill him, as a Fulani citizen, you should know, without anyone giving you any intelligence, that you will be attacked by the Berom people.

“And if a Berom tribe attacks a Fulani community, razes it to the ground, kills its inhabitants, and ruffles their cows, no one needs to tell you that they will come after you,” he said.

Defending the handling of the Oriire rescue operation, Ngoshe dismissed criticism over the limited public disclosure of information by security agencies, and insisted that security operations could not be carried out in the open.

“This is not an operation that should be carried out on the pages of a newspaper, radio or television station,” he said.

According to him, the kidnappers initially targeted the school to pressure the Federal Government to release the detained Ansaru leaders, but later came under constant pressure from security agencies.

“The service carried out other activities, especially the arrest of its own leaders, their own property, such as their parents, wives and children, all of them collaborators.

“After this happened, the terrorists now opened communication with the service and asked what needed to be done, and they provided these conditions. These conditions were rejected outright.

“Terrorists then come under pressure. The pressure is shifted from the government to them,” he said.

Ngoshe claimed security agencies isolated the kidnappers, cutting off access to food, weapons and informants before surrounding their location.

“They were denied access to food, denied access to weapons, and their informants were taken out and turned into assets.

“They saw that they had no choice but to surrender,” he said.

He added that after the victims were released, security forces attacked the kidnappers.

“There were those who were successfully eliminated, and around four people were critically injured and were picked up. Four people who were critically injured died in hospital, while the others are being processed for legal action,” he said.

On concerns regarding political interference in security operations, the retired DSS officer emphasized that effective leadership is key to ensuring professionalism.

“It all comes down to the leadership of this service.

“I am a retired DSS. I can speak on behalf of the DSS. I have known the Director General since we started as young officers. He has been on the operations staff through and through.

“He knows the implications of letting political considerations outweigh security considerations. His passion is security. His calling is security. His expertise is security,” he said.

Ngoshe urged Nigerians to support security agencies with patience and cooperation.

“This practice, when something happens, and everyone goes to heaven to call for immediate action, ‘take this off, do this, do that,’ in terms of security doesn’t help.

“It is not done like that. If it were that easy, no Nigerian would be detained for any reason. But believe me, a lot of work needs to be done. Good understanding from the Nigerian side needs to be given,” he added.

The comments come days after the Federal Government announced the rescue of all kidnapped students and teachers from Community High School, Oriire, Oyo State, following a 56-day intelligence-led operation.

The victims were reunited with their families on Tuesday after receiving medical treatment and psychosocial support.