The Presidency on Monday revealed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military established direct communication with the bandits who abducted 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Speaking on Arise Television, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said security agencies reached out to the attackers shortly after the incident and demanded the immediate release of the abducted victims.
“After the incident happened, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue efforts. They got in contact with the bandits to release those people unharmed, and finally, on Sunday, they were able to get them out,” he said.
Onanuga insisted the bandits complied because they understood the repercussions of disregarding government orders.
The presidential aide explained that operatives had sophisticated methods of tracking armed groups but often held back to prevent civilian casualties, as kidnappers routinely use abductees as shields.
He said, “The security people, at the risk of revealing how they work, have a way of tracking these people. They know what’s going on at any time.
“What sometimes restrains them from going after the kidnappers is the risk of collateral damage.”
Pressed on why security forces did not engage the bandits directly, despite the attackers killing two worshippers during the church invasion, Onanuga said the government’s priority was to secure the hostages alive.
“The first thing the government must do is get those people freed. That objective has been achieved,” he stated.
He added that the bandits released the abductees because they were aware of “the consequences of not listening to government demands.”
Onanuga noted that while the rescue mission had concluded, further action against the perpetrators would be taken by the security forces.
“The next level of action is for the security agencies, and I don’t want to pre-empt them,” he said.
The 38 worshippers spent five days in captivity before regaining freedom on Sunday, following coordinated security operations.
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