The Department of State Services (DSS), after a coordinated operation with some Forest Guards that culminated in a fierce gun duel inside a forest enclave in Borno State, successfully rescued seven abducted persons by suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
It was gathered from Security sources that the victims were kidnapped on January 19 while gathering firewood near Ajiri Camp on the outskirts of Maiduguri during which they were intercepted by the terrorists and taken into the deep forest.
However, two of the abductees it was further gathered managed to escape and returned to the camp to alert the community.
This was as it further gathered that the terrorists later released one of the abductees on a bicycle to demand a ransom of N20 million.
However, acting on intelligence, the Forest Guards in collaboration with personnel of the DSS swiftly mobilised and moved into the area.
Forefront News was further told by a security source that as a means of avoiding being detected, the operatives dismounted their motorcycles and trekked for nearly an hour before closing in on the terrorists’ hideout and engaged the ISWAP elements in a fierce gun battle.
The development forced the terrorists to flee and abandon all their seven victims who were successfully rescued unharmed and currently undergoing profiling as well as receiving support from the authorities.
Speaking on the success of the operations, Mr. Hassan Modu, Commander of the Forest Guards, attributed the success to the timely intelligence and seamless collaboration with the DSS.
According to Modu; “We moved quietly, on foot, and engaged them. The terrorists fled when they realised that we had closed in on their enclave.
“We commend the DSS for its operational support and urge residents to continue to provide credible information to security agencies to help curb criminal activities in the state,” he said.
The Forest Guards function as a community-based auxiliary security outfit trained, equipped, and supervised by the DSS which provides them with basic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance skills.
The DSS also conducts regular drills on tracking and bush operations with the Forest Guards which implants officers to guide their activities in the most professional means.
The forest guards specifically function under supervision and strategic control of the DSS by ensuring professionalism, discipline, and effective coordination in joint operations against terrorists and other criminal elements.
