Major General Chinedu Nnebeufe, GOC, 2 Division, Nigerian Army Headquarters, has given details of how the abducted Oriire schoolchildren and teachers were rescued by security operatives.

During a press briefing, Nnebeufe said triops opted to use ground operation to rescue the abducted schoolchildren because the aircrafts and drones used during the rescue operation couldn't locate the abducted schoolchildren and teachers.

According to the army boss, "if you're under that place, you can't even see rays of sunlight."

Nnebeufe revealed that during one of the operations, two soldiers were lost and some others were wounded.

He said, "One of them has a broken arm due to a gunshot wound. I took over the operation, and we had assistance from the NSA Nuhu Ribadu, who sent in the National Counter-terrorism unit.

"We also had the Defence Headquarters special forces, the Nigerian Police, DSS, Nigerian Airforce team from Kanji, troops from Operation Savannah Shield from Kwara State that did a blocking from the Northern side of the state, local vigilantes and Amoteken. We lost some hunters, too.

"The operation was a complex one, and it lasted for over a month. We focused on identifying the terrorist kingpins that masterminded the abduction and then started cutting off their logistics and informants at the Old Oyo National Park and other parts of the country."

He further revealed that pressure was placed on the kidnappers by ensuring that their families were arrested.

"We looked for other members of their team and members of their families in Adamawa, Kano, and different parts of the country and got them, and this put pressure on the terrorists.

"During the last phase of the operation, we blocked their major logistics hub in Ashamu, and it finally made them to willingly release the schoolchildren and teachers unconditionally, but we insisted that it was not about releasing but seeing to end of the terrorists operating in the region," he said.