The Silent Victory: Why Intelligence is the Backbone of Successful Military Operations

By Oluseyi Petinrin

Students of military operations, including its planning and execution, know that intelligence is the grandfather of most successful operations. But it is a fact that is not immediately obvious to many members of the public and even to some that have spent years in the military establishments.

The Orire kidnap victims’ release was already being credited to the military until one of the released victims told the true story: they were released by the kidnappers, and no kinetic action was involved in that release. The kidnappers even told their victims why they were being released: members of the kidnappers’ families had been arrested and their videos were sent to the kidnappers.

But how were the kidnappers identified and their relatives traced to their various places of abode? That was the work of the DSS and the other actors in the intelligence community.

While the side players were being eulogised and the main DSS actors responsible for the release were being ignored, the DSS kept silent. That is the way of solid intelligence professionals. They keep mum after doing the job that leads to the success of operations and will not raise a whimper even when the wrong people are being credited for the job. I must say it again: intelligence is the grandfather of military operations. May God Bless Our DSS And The Other Players in The Intelligence Community.

I think a few words should also be said about the patience exhibited by those in charge of the planning of this release. We must commend the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Governor of Oyo State, the Hon Minister of Defence, the NSA and DG DSS for refusing to be stampeded into taking rash kinetic actions that could have led to losses amongst the victims.

The Yoruba admonition that hot pap requires patience to consume it was scrupulously heeded in this operation and it could serve as a template for future anti-kidnapping operations.

*Petinrin is a retired Air Chief Marshall and former Chief of Defence Staff