Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru explained that military teams rescued kidnapped victims safely by surrounding terrorist camps without shooting hostages.
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has explained how Nigerian military troops successfully rescued kidnapped victims from dangerous terrorist hideouts across Northern states without killing the criminals on the spot.
The senior government official revealed these secret tactical details on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during an official security press briefing held in Abuja.
The defence leader shared the success of recent joint operations carried out by army units and air force commanders operating in deep forests across the North West and North East regions.
The main reason why military commanders decided to use special, careful rescue methods is to protect the lives of innocent citizens who were captured by armed criminals.
In many past situations, when soldiers opened heavy fire on criminal hideouts, innocent kidnapped victims faced the danger of getting hit by stray bullets or being used as human shields by scared terrorists.
Minister Badaru explained that the new military operational strategy focuses first on saving hostage lives before engaging criminals.
Soldiers surround the forest camps silently, cut off supply lines, and use heavy pressure to force terrorists to run away or surrender, allowing ground troops to safely march in and rescue every single captive without any blood spilled among hostages.
The minister assured the public that the Nigerian Armed Forces are constantly updating their equipment, intelligence networks, and field tactics to make sure that terrorists have nowhere safe to hide inside the bush.
Explaining how military officers handled delicate rescue situations in thick forests, the minister shared details about the careful decisions made on the battlefield.
See Also: Students of Adekunle Ajasin University Block Roads to Protest 68 Day Strike in Ondo State
Revealing the core reason behind holding back heavy gunshots during hostage rescues, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar stated that “the primary objective in any rescue operation is the safety of the victims. Shooting indiscriminately in a camp where innocent people are held as human shields puts those lives at great risk”.
Reassuring the nation that soldiers are well trained to prioritize human life while fighting crime, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar added that “our troops exercised professional restraint to ensure that victims were brought back alive and unhurt, while still dismantling the operational capability of the bandits”.
Security forces have successfully rescued hundreds of women and children in recent months using these tactical lethal methods.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
