Former Field Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, Major General Anthony Magnawa Atolagbe (Rtd.), urged Nigerians to recognise that rescue operations do not always result in the arrest or neutralisation of kidnappers, stressing that such missions are inherently complex and primarily focused on saving lives.
According to The Punch, his remarks came in response to calls for greater transparency following the release of 24 schoolgirls kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
According to an ARISE News report on Tuesday, Atolagbe said the public’s concern about abducted schoolchildren being freed without any arrests stemmed from a limited understanding of what happens in the field. He maintained that security personnel often face realities that differ significantly from what is expected on paper.
He pointed out that rescue operations should not be conflated with combat engagements, explaining that troops on such missions are not deployed to wage war but to safely extract victims.
Atolagbe also referred to an international example, recalling the 2002 rescue attempt by Russian special forces at a Moscow theatre, where over 900 hostages were involved. He noted that many civilians died as a result of the tactics used, illustrating how delicate rescue operations can be. He added that negotiations or ransom payments are not always part of the process.
The retired commander further explained that kidnappers frequently position themselves among their captives, a tactic that significantly restricts the options available to security forces and complicates efforts to apprehend them.
“You want to get the children out safe and alive. When you meet these people inserted between the children, what do you do?” he asked. “They may tell you: ‘Allow us to pull out and then you can take your children.’ Would you insist on capturing them, or leave them for a later date since you already know where they operate?”
Atolagbe stressed that such decisions rest with field commanders.
“The commander on the ground has the best initiative at that moment to decide what to do and what not to do,” he said.
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