Details emerged yesterday of Nigeria’s role in rescuing an American kidnapped in Niger but released by the elite US Special Force SEAL Team Six on Saturday in Sokoto State
A senior diplomat told THISDAY that the Nigerian intelligence community provided the ‘intelligence operation’ who made the rescue mission of the American Philip Walton a success
The source spoke on Sunday in the context of feuds between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday over the US hostage rescue
The PDP fired the first salvo, claiming that the rescue mission had confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari could neither guarantee the territorial integrity of the nation nor stop the insecurity ravaging the country
There have been innuendos about Nigeria’s role in the rescue mission, amid several media reports citing President Donald Trump and the Pentagon as saying the CIA provided the intelligence to locate Walton while Navy Elements of special operations in Africa helped locate him
According to reports, the elite SEAL Six team performed a « precision » hostage rescue mission and killed all seven kidnappers except one
Trump called the rescue mission a great victory for our very elite US Special Forcesâ € ” in a tweet and the Pentagon praised the rescue mission in a statement
At a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump praised the military for what he called a « brilliantly executed » operation
– Last night our brave special forces rescued an American hostage, ”he said as the crowd cheered and chanted“ USA ”
However, a senior intelligence official yesterday gave an insider’s account of how the rescue mission was carried out
He told TODAY that as soon as Walton was kidnapped in the Republic of Niger and the kidnappers called the victim’s father, the head of Niger’s external security agency reportedly called his Nigerian counterpart. , informing him that the phone numbers used by the kidnappers were those in Nigeria
The source said: “As soon as we got this information, we quickly traced the phone numbers and discovered that the kidnappers were on a plot of land belonging to a Mallam Abubakar in Illela Local government area in Sokoto state
Nigeria and Niger were working on this information when on October 28, 2020, the US government wrote to the federal government through the Foreign Office, requesting permission from President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out the rescue mission. ??? at ????
Security chiefs, including senior military officers, reportedly met and surveyed the United States letter and advised Buhari on the way
Based on intelligence chiefs recommendation, president reportedly gave U.S. explicit approval asks, after their officials, along with Nigeria’s security chiefs and some senior foreign ministry officials met with his chief of staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, in Abuja
Explaining the reasons for the president’s approval, the intelligence chief told THISDAY that even though Nigeria does not have a « military pact » ???? with the United States, a military alliance in which the two countries promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other, Nigeria is currently fighting terrorism and needs all the help of the world community, including the United States. United
Again, for humanitarian reasons, Nigeria cannot reject a request for the rescue of an American citizen in our country More so, when there are no military installations in the targeted area that will be damaged
We have also been assured by the United States in their letter to the President that the whole operation will not take more than 12 hours, ”the source added.
While the US rescue team has been praised for an efficient and successful rescue mission, the source said Nigeria has a lot to learn from the operation, adding that the mission was made possible by the super American military equipment like Night Vigil Helicopter which operates without sound and with powerful night flight facilities
â ???? at ???? We commended the United States for the operation; and we have a lot to learn from them
But let it be known that the Nigerian intelligence community provided the intelligence operation that led to the operation’s success, â ?? at ???? the source said
According to him, with the increase in the deadly activities of terrorists across the world, the way forward is to invest heavily in security equipment for an effective operation, when the need arises.
Nigeria, Niger and US Navy SEALs
World News – UK – Diplomat reveals Nigeria’s role in US hostage rescue – THISDAYLIVE
