By JKNewsMedia
APPREHENSIONS OVER the escape of suspected Ansaru terrorists have emerged following the rescue of abducted teachers and schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, with former Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, warning that the operation may not have dismantled the group.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Daura said the safe return of the victims was welcome but noted that reports stating the abductors abandoned the captives before fleeing suggested that key members of the group might have escaped.
He said that if the reports were accurate, those with the most valuable information about the group’s operations, leadership and future plans remained at large and could regroup.
Daura said the disappearance of the kidnappers before security forces reached the victims should not be regarded as the complete defeat of the terrorist group.
He said the development raised questions about the whereabouts of the fleeing suspects and the possibility of future threats.
He said: “What I read from the media was that they abandoned the pupils. So that means those that might have been in possession of the real information that they have must have disappeared. They say, ‘He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.’”
He notes that his comments followed the announcement by security forces that kidnapped teachers and pupils had been rescued after an intensive operation in Oyo State, adding that the rescue drew praise for the military and other security agencies after the victims regained their freedom.
Daura urged security agencies to intensify efforts to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, saying the operation should not mark the end of the investigation and warning that leaving them at large could expose communities to future attacks.
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