Security agencies know location of abductors

By Nicholas Kalu, AbujaA former Assistant Director with the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Dennis Amachree, has said security agents know the location of bandits who abducted pupils and teachers of Government Science College, Kangara, in Niger State.Speaking yesterday on Channels Television breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, Amachree said the compound where Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, met the bandits to discuss the release of the abducted pupils and teachers was close to a military post.The security expert was responding to questions about how Gumi was able to easily access bandits while security agents were finding it hard to do so.He said: The security agencies are very much aware because if you remember, when Gumi went to see these bandits, remember there was a military post there. They asked everybody to drop their guns, even if they are policemen, they should stay at the military post before they come to the camp where they are.That means the military themselves know that there are some people out there, 700-strong or 600-strong in there. So, it is not a matter of they dont know. I think they know. But you know: you just dont jump into 700 fully armed people because the tactics have to be planned properly to handle things like that.On why the security agents could not engage the bandits and rescue the hostages, Amachree said it was possible that they were trying to avoid collateral damage, as the bandits could easily use the captives as human shields.When you see bandits like that, if their number is large, you will decide whether you want to get reinforcement to move in there. Then, secondly, sometimes they have hostages with them and the hostages then become human shields for them.So, if you go in there, there will be a lot of collateral damage. So, these are the considerations. I am not currently in the theatre of what is happening there. So, I dont know what the commanders of that area are doing. But I can tell you they are not just sitting down.
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