By Sadiq Muhammed
The recent interview granted by one of the teachers abducted alongside schoolchildren in Oriire, Oyo State, has sparked public debate after he claimed that the victims were “simply released” by their captors and were not rescued by Nigeria’s security agencies as officially reported.
While every survivor has the right to recount his personal experience, it is important to distinguish between what a hostage witnessed in captivity and what transpired outside the forest. Hostages are not privy to intelligence gathering, surveillance, operational planning, negotiations, or tactical decisions undertaken by security agencies. Therefore, it is both unfair and misleading to dismiss the efforts of those who worked day and night to secure their freedom.
The facts speak for themselves. If the kidnappers intended to release the victims voluntarily, why were they held for 56 agonising days? Terrorist and criminal groups do not simply surrender valuable hostages out of goodwill. More often than not, such releases result from sustained military pressure, intelligence led operations, disruption of supply routes, strategic negotiations, or the realisation by the captors that continuing to hold the victims had become too risky.
In modern counter terrorism operations, success is not measured by the number of bullets fired or enemies killed. Professional security forces around the world increasingly rely on intelligence, precision, patience, and strategy to secure the safe release of hostages. Avoiding a direct gun battle is often a deliberate decision aimed at protecting innocent lives. A reckless assault could easily have resulted in the deaths of the teachers and schoolchildren the nation desperately wanted to save.
Reports also indicate that some security personnel lost their lives during the operation to track and pursue the kidnappers. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Their families deserve appreciation for that sacrifice. How would those families feel when they hear claims suggesting that the security agencies did nothing and that the victims simply walked free? Such remarks, whether intentional or not, diminish the courage and commitment of those who laid down their lives for others.
This is not to suggest that Nigeria’s security agencies are beyond criticism. They are not. Constructive scrutiny is essential in any democracy, and there is always room for improvement. However, criticism must be based on facts rather than assumptions or incomplete information. Public confidence in our security institutions should not be eroded by conclusions drawn without knowledge of the full operational picture.
The successful return of the Oriire victims should be viewed for what it represents: the outcome of perseverance, intelligence, professionalism, and sacrifice. The objective of every hostage operation is to bring victims home alive. If that objective was achieved without exposing innocent people to unnecessary gunfire, then that is a mark of operational success, not failure.
As a nation confronting persistent security challenges, Nigerians should encourage professionalism and recognise genuine achievements whenever they occur. Those who protect us deserve accountability, but they also deserve fairness. When our security personnel risk and sometimes lose their lives to save others, the least they deserve is our gratitude rather than attempts to diminish their efforts.
Muhammed can be reached at
sadiqu2013@gmail.com, 08056859039
