bandits
Boko Haram terrorists who abducted pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been trapped inside the Oyo National Park, 36 days after the May 15 attacks.
According to The Punch, the terrorists, who are members of Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad, which is the formal name of Boko Haram, have intensified efforts to frustrate the rescue operation by planting Improvised Explosive Devices and frequently changing locations within the forest.
Sources familiar with the operation disclosed that the terrorists have also orchestrated attacks in other parts of the country as a deliberate strategy to divert attention and stretch security resources deployed for the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers.
The report added that despite mounting pressure from troops and other security operatives deployed in the forest, the terrorists have continued to fiercely resist rescue efforts, with the operation already claiming the lives of some soldiers.
The pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15 from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; L.A. Primary School; and Community Grammar School, Esiele.
No fewer than 42 pupils and teachers, including a principal, were taken during the attacks.
One of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded the following day by the terrorists in a bid to deter security operatives from advancing closer.
Meanwhile, the terrorists have reportedly demanded the release of two of their commanders in exchange for the abducted pupils and teachers.
The terror commanders are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
However, the government has maintained that it will not negotiate with the terrorists and has vowed to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers.
Terrorists trapped, plant IEDs
However, security operatives familiar with the rescue operation told Saturday PUNCH that all possible exit routes from the forest had been manned by soldiers, making it difficult for the terrorists to move their victims out.
The report added that soldiers trying to flush out the terrorists have come under attack on two occasions, resulting in the d3aths of at least three personnel.
One security source, who spoke on conditions of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the forest’s difficult terrain and the terrorists’ tactics have slowed down the operation.
“They have planted IEDs everywhere and our men are exploring professional methods to navigate the difficult areas,” the source said.
“Some soldiers have been k!lled in the operation. There have been shootouts on two occasions. The military lost three personnel in those shootouts. Just two weeks ago, two soldiers were k!lled in the forest. That has really slowed down the operation, but we are not relenting.”
The source added that the terrorists change location almost every day to evade capture.
“They know they are being monitored and that security operatives are everywhere. So, they move their victims from one place to another. But they can’t leave the forest. They have been surrounded,” he said.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had earlier confirmed that some soldiers d!ed during the ongoing rescue efforts.
While addressing protesters on Tuesday, the governor said, “We have lost men, even soldiers and officers. I can confirm to you that a lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was k!lled two days ago.”
Terrorists step up attacks to stretch security, divert attention
A former lawmaker in the state who is knowledgeable about the rescue operation told Saturday PUNCH that the terrorists’ commanders have intensified attacks in the northern part of the country to reduce the concentration of security operatives focused on the Oyo abduction.
He said the terrorists, who he claimed have been caged in the forest, were trying to stretch security personnel and thin out their presence in the Oyo National Park in a bid to escape.
The ex-lawmaker, who spoke on conditions of anonymity on Thursday, said, “From intelligence reports, we got to know that the terrorists deliberately increased the tempo of attacks on innocent citizens and communities just to distract the security operatives from forging ahead with the rescue operation.
“They have been surrounded and they know the soldiers in the forest are getting close to them. So, they and their commanders increased the scale of attacks so that the soldiers trailing them in the Oyo forest will be withdrawn or reduced. That is their tactic. But it will not work.
“Very soon, the children and teachers will be rescued. The security men have blocked all the paths they can escape through, and they are becoming weaker.”
Victims used as human shield
A security source privy to the operation told journalists that the abductors’ use of the victims as human shields remained the biggest obstacle to a decisive rescue.
“They’re using their victims as shields, and we don’t want a situation where they would begin to k!ll those children,” the source said.
“The political actors don’t want us to penetrate as much as possible, and truly, if we do and they k!ll one of the victims, the outcry would be too much. They would blame it on us.”
The source further disclosed that the abductors’ tactics differed from those of other criminal groups, complicating efforts to track and intercept them.
“They have reinforced and are over 200 in the location where they are keeping the victims,” the source said.
He warned that a forced penetration might result in catastrophic collateral damage.
“If we want to penetrate, and there is an exchange of fire, it could hit the victims, or they k!ll the victims themselves,” the source said.
Despite the operational constraints, the source indicated that the terrorists were stepping up attacks in Kwara and other areas as a deliberate distraction.
“Very soon we would go to one of the locations in Kwara to flush them out,” the source added.
Ex-general seeks consolidated efforts
A retired Brigadier-General in the Nigerian Army, John Sura, confirmed that the terrorists were stepping up attacks in other parts of the country to reduce pressure on those holding the Oyo pupils and teachers hostage.
He urged security personnel not to be distracted, saying the move was a deliberate attempt to divert attention.
“The issue of the sudden surge all over the place is to re-engage the thinking of the country, both the politicians and the military, from concentrating their efforts on these kidnappers of the schoolchildren.
“Diverting the attention of security agencies is a tactic by any military or terrorist group, so that you don’t concentrate all your efforts on one side. Therefore, I would advise that the military concentrate its efforts on the rescue of the schoolchildren, while every other commander should raise the stakes in the surge and also in the defence of the people.
“I think it is a tactic to stretch out the military and also stretch out the country as a whole and paint us as if we are in a state of war,” Sura said.
Terrorists becoming sophisticated, expert warns;
Another retired Brigadier-General, Bashir Adewinbi, noted that the terrorists had adopted new strategies to slow down the rescue operation.
He lamented that they were becoming more sophisticated and better equipped.
“The act of using explosives to slow down the activities of whoever is coming to attack them is very unfortunate. That is another dimension entirely. That means they are dominating the environment,” Adewinbi said.
He warned that innocent people would suffer from the IEDs planted by the terrorists, turning parts of the forest into no-go areas.
Adewinbi advised security agencies to reduce heavy deployment of land forces and focus more on aerial surveillance.
He also called on the Federal Government to ensure speedy trial and execution of convicted terrorists.
“What we are witnessing is a lesson that Nigeria should not keep terrorists in custody for long. Any terrorist caught should be made to go through a speedy trial and executed upon conviction,” Adewinbi added.
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