Former DSS Chief Lawal Daura Warns Escaped Terror Suspects Could Still Threaten Nigeria After Oriire School Rescue
The successful rescue of abducted teachers and schoolchildren from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State has been widely celebrated across Nigeria. However, former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, has cautioned that the operation should not be viewed as the end of the security challenge, warning that key members of the suspected Ansaru terrorist group may still be at large.
Daura made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television, where he commended the rescue of the victims but expressed concern over reports suggesting that the abductors abandoned the captives before fleeing. According to him, if those reports are accurate, the development raises important security questions about the whereabouts of the terrorists and whether they remain capable of carrying out future attacks.
The rescued victims—teachers and pupils who spent approximately 56 days in captivity after being kidnapped in May—were freed during a coordinated intelligence-led operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps, local hunters, and vigilante groups. Security authorities described the operation as one of the most comprehensive counter-terrorism missions conducted in the South-West in recent years.
Despite the successful rescue, Daura believes the circumstances surrounding the victims' release warrant continued vigilance.
According to him, reports indicating that the terrorists abandoned the captives before security operatives arrived suggest that the principal actors behind the kidnapping may have escaped with valuable operational knowledge.
In his words:
> “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.’”
Daura argued that the disappearance of the kidnappers before the final rescue operation should not automatically be interpreted as the complete dismantling of the terrorist network. Instead, he said it raises concerns that surviving members could regroup, reorganize, and potentially launch future attacks if they are not tracked down and apprehended.
His comments come at a time when Nigerians are celebrating the safe return of the abducted victims and commending the professionalism displayed by security agencies during the month-long intelligence operation. Military authorities have explained that the mission focused not only on rescuing the hostages but also on identifying the group's hideouts, logistics channels, informants, and leadership structure within the Old Oyo National Park and surrounding areas.
Security experts have long maintained that successful counter-terrorism operations extend beyond rescuing hostages. They emphasize that lasting security requires dismantling terrorist networks through intelligence gathering, arresting or neutralizing key operatives, disrupting financing and logistics, and preventing surviving members from rebuilding their operational capacity.
Daura echoed this position, stressing that allowing suspected terrorists involved in the kidnapping to remain at large could undermine the gains achieved by the rescue mission. He urged security agencies to sustain intelligence-driven operations until every individual connected to the abduction is identified and brought to justice.
The rescue operation itself has been praised as a major achievement of inter-agency collaboration. The Nigerian Army said the operation was carefully planned over several weeks and involved extensive surveillance, intelligence gathering, and coordination among federal and state security institutions before the victims were safely recovered.
The Oyo State Government has also commended the efforts of the security agencies, describing the victims' release as a significant relief for their families and the entire state. Governor Seyi Makinde subsequently received the rescued teachers and pupils and assured them that the government would oversee their rehabilitation and continued welfare following their ordeal.
Nevertheless, Daura's remarks have introduced a new dimension to the national conversation, shifting attention from the success of the rescue operation to the broader challenge of ensuring that those responsible for the kidnapping do not evade justice.
His warning has sparked renewed debate among security observers over whether the escape of any suspected terrorists could pose an ongoing threat to communities, particularly if remnants of the network remain operational.
While the rescue has been celebrated as a significant victory against terrorism, Daura insists that the mission should only be considered fully successful when every individual responsible for the abduction is accounted for and the network behind the attack is permanently dismantled.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with former DSS Director-General Lawal Daura that terrorists who may have escaped still pose a serious security threat, or do you believe the rescue operation has significantly weakened the group? Share your views in the comments below.
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