The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Sunday Dare, has shed light on the sensitive nature of rescue operations following the release of 38 persons abducted from Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
In a post on his X account on Tuesday, Dare said the process of freeing kidnap victims typically involves several layers of coordination among security agencies, local intelligence sources and strategic planning, stressing that such operations cannot be fully disclosed to the public.
“The process of securing or freeing victims of kidnappings is often a complicated one involving several steps and multiple security personnel, even local intelligence,” he wrote. “The ultimate goal is to free the captives and of course apprehend the terrorists. The full details of such operations are never disclosed in full. It’s a security matter.”
Dare commended security agencies for their role in recent rescue operations in Niger and Kwara states and assured citizens that the perpetrators would soon be brought to justice.
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His comments come after Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced the release of the 38 hostages, attributing the breakthrough to President Bola Tinubu’s direct involvement. According to the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the President personally coordinated efforts and even postponed his trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to focus on security operations in Kwara and Kebbi states.
Ajakaye said the abductees were freed on November 23 after days of intense work by security forces and government officials. He added that the governor was “immensely grateful” to President Tinubu for the hands-on approach that made the rescue possible.
Dare’s remarks underscore the challenge of balancing public transparency with the operational secrecy required to safely conduct rescue missions, while reassuring Nigerians that ongoing operations are handled professionally and that offenders will be prosecuted.