Shehu made the confirmation in an opinion article titled: ‘Five takeaways from the safe return of 344 Kankara schoolboys’.

The Defence Headquarters had earlier said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji successfully rescued the abducted students.

But Shehu confirmed the involvement of the military in the rescue mission.

He said, “Our security forces often do not get the accolades they deserve. Once more, the Nigerian military has delivered on the big stage. They had a plan, kept to it, and got the job done without firing a single shot. This is important because one casualty, one dead schoolboy could have traumatised President Buhari and the parents. One dead student would have tainted the rescue mission. The President wanted the boys back alive and delivered to their parents. As a compassionate father figure, he would have been pained if one life had been lost in the rescue process. Bravo to the Nigerian military and our security agencies for a well-coordinated and professionally executed mission to the President’s order reuniting the boys with their parents. There are not enough words to thank our gallant men and women in uniform, the military that continues to make sacrifices for many of us to enjoy and express our freedoms in its various forms and shapes. Millions of appreciative citizens applaud the success of the Army in bringing back the Kankara schoolboys. Well done, boys!”