The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that the recent kidnap incident involving students and teachers in Oyo State was perpetrated by terrorists belonging to the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (JAS) group. These terrorists were reportedly displaced from other regions of the country due to intensified military operations.
In a statement released on Thursday, May 21, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, clarified that the attackers were members of the JAS terrorist group who had been dislodged from their previous hideouts by sustained high-intensity military offensives conducted across the nation. The statement emphasized that the Oyo abduction was clearly a result of these displaced terrorists seeking new areas of operation.
The DHQ also refuted claims that it had referred to terrorists operating in the South-West as mere criminals. It described such interpretations as inaccurate and misleading. Major General Onoja stressed that at no point did the Defence Headquarters label vicious and violent terrorists as ordinary criminals.
The military explained that its earlier clarification on security developments in the South-West was intended to provide an intelligence-based context. This was aimed at preventing misinformation and unnecessary panic among residents in the region. The DHQ reiterated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed to supporting constitutional governance and protecting democratic institutions.
Furthermore, the statement noted that the Defence Headquarters never undermined the authority of any democratically elected leader nor sought to diminish the gravity of the heinous crimes committed against innocent citizens by terrorist elements. The DHQ disclosed that troops are actively deployed across affected areas, working in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders, to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks threatening national peace and stability.
The statement concluded by affirming that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain resolute in dismantling all criminal and terrorist networks that threaten the peace, stability, and unity of the nation.
