Military Rescues Hostages Without Confrontation, Defence Minister Explains Strategy

Nigeria's Defence Minister, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has outlined how security forces free abducted persons without direct combat or paying ransoms. Speaking on a television programme on Thursday, Musa described a strategy centred on military pressure rather than armed engagement.

The approach involves identifying where captors hold victims, then establishing a perimeter around the location to seal off all possible escape routes. Under this method, security forces restrict the terrorists' access to food, supplies, and other resources while maintaining a cordon around their position.

This pressure gradually forces the abductors to abandon their hostages and flee the area, according to Musa's account. The strategy has been deployed in recent operations across northern Nigeria, including in Kwara State, where troops recovered abducted persons without recorded gunfire or ransom payments.

Musa also addressed logistical challenges facing the military. He noted that Sambisa Forest, a major stronghold for armed groups, spans a territory comparable in size to Belgium.

The vastness of such terrain complicates efforts to locate and pursue terrorist elements before they retreat into remote areas. Despite these obstacles, Musa stated that security forces have been conducting regular rescue operations across affected regions.

The Defence Minister additionally called on state governors to reconsider policies permitting the sale of motorcycles in their jurisdictions, as such vehicles are frequently used by criminal networks to carry out abductions and attacks. Musa's explanations address persistent public questioning about why recent hostage rescues have resulted in the release of victims without the arrest or elimination of their captors, a pattern that has raised scrutiny over military operations in the country's security crisis.