About nine people, including four civilians and five security personnel, were killed during a security operation to rescue victims abducted by suspected members of an international terrorist group in Oyo State.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, disclosed this in an interview published by Premium Times.
Ajayi said security operatives launched an immediate pursuit of the abductors after receiving credible intelligence about the kidnapping.
According to him, a vigilante member and a police officer were killed during the initial pursuit, while additional casualties were recorded when security forces later raided the kidnappers’ hideout.
“Immediately after the incident happened, based on credible intelligence, troops chased them immediately, and sadly, a vigilante and a policeman were killed. During the second raid, more were killed, making a total of nine fatalities, four civilians and five security personnel,” Ajayi said.
The DSS Director-General described the rescue mission as a complex operation, noting that some of the victims were particularly vulnerable.
He disclosed that one of those rescued was a two-and-a-half-year-old child, who would have been unable to escape quickly if security forces had launched an assault on the location without careful planning.
