26th November 2025
Former Field Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, Major General Anthony Magnawa Atolagbe (Rtd.), has urged Nigerians to understand that not every rescue operation will result in the arrest or neutralisation of kidnappers, emphasising that such missions are complex and prioritise saving lives.
This clarification follows the call for transparency over the release of 24 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State
As reported by ARISE News on Tuesday, Atolagbe said concerns over abducted schoolchildren being released without any arrests reflect a misunderstanding of field realities.
“It is not in every case that you will have neutralised abductors. What plays out on the field is not paperwork. A lot happens when you interact with people of this nature.”
He explained that rescue operations are fundamentally different from combat missions.
“It’s not as if we are fighting a war against these guys; we are going on a rescue mission,” Atolagbe said.
Citing an international example, he recalled a 2002 operation in Russia where special forces attempted to rescue 918 hostages in a cinema.
At the end of the day, many civilians died because of the tactics used. So it is not in every case that negotiations happen or that money is involved,” he noted.
The retired commander highlighted that kidnappers often position themselves among hostages, limiting troops’ options.
“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.
Barely a week after 38 worshippers of the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, Eruku, were abducted and later released, another wave of terror has hit Kwara State, as at least 11 residents were reportedly kidnapped on Monday evening in Isapa, a neighbouring community in Ekiti Local Government Area.
Atolagbe said attacks can occur anywhere because Nigeria currently lacks the technology to monitor all vulnerable areas.
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