The Defence Headquarters, on Saturday, denied that troops withdrew a few days before the abduction of schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe State. It explained that the troops were located just 30 kilometres from the school. The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. John Agim, in a text message to Punch, said there was no truth in the allegation that the military withdrew a few hours to the attack.
Agim said, "There is no truth in the allegation because the military has been in a location that is about 30 kilometres to the school". Efforts to get the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, Moshood Jimoh, did not succeed as he neither returned calls to his mobile nor responded to an SMS sent to him.
A national newspaper had reported on Saturday that the Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, said security men withdrew from Dapchi a few hours to the attack. Gaidam stated this when the Kano State Governor , Abdullahi Ganduje, paid him a visit in Damaturu, the state capital. The Boko Haram insurgents, who abducted the girls, were reported to have arrived at Dapchi at 7 pm on Monday and left at 9pm.