Before Iran, there was Zamfara: The Rescue Story Nigerians Choose to Forget
By Chidi Omeje
In the aftermath of the widely reported rescue of a downed American pilot following a missile strike in Iran, a familiar pattern has emerged in Nigeria’s digital public square: admiration for foreign prowess, quickly followed by derision for our own. Social media commentary has been rife with comparisons between the United States military and the Nigerian Armed Forces, comparisons that are not only intellectually lazy but also historically uninformed and unfair.
Yes, the United States possesses unmatched technological superiority, global reach, and decades of refined combat doctrine. But to suggest that Nigeria lacks the capability, courage, or operational coherence to rescue its own in hostile territory is to ignore a compelling and recent counterexample: the rescue of Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo in Zamfara State in July 2021.
Let us revisit the facts.
Dairo’s fighter jet was downed after coming under heavy fire from armed bandits during an air interdiction mission. He successfully ejected, only to find himself stranded deep within hostile territory, under threat from bandit terrorists who were actively hunting him. What followed was not a tale of helplessness, but one of skill, resilience, and coordinated military response.
Using sheer survival instinct, Dairo evaded capture, navigating dangerous terrain and seeking temporary refuge. As night fell, he leveraged basic tools: a mobile phone for navigation, and his training to maneuver through bandit-controlled areas. Eventually, he reached a Nigerian Army unit, where he was safely extracted.
But this was no solo act of heroism. The Nigerian Air Force, under the directive of the Chief of Air Staff, immediately activated a multi-layered rescue operation. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms were deployed. Helicopter gunships provided close air support. Special Forces and ground troops coordinated a search-and-rescue mission under perilous conditions. The presence of NAF aircraft in the area alone was enough to deter pursuing bandits and buy the pilot crucial time to escape.
This is what a functioning military rescue operation looks like: adapted to context, constrained by resources, yet effective. So why the rush to dismiss it?
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The answer lies partly in a deeper national malaise: a tendency to undervalue local competence while over-glorifying foreign systems. It is a mindset shaped by years of frustration with governance and infrastructure, but one that becomes dangerous when it blinds citizens to objective reality. Criticism is healthy in a democracy but it must be grounded in facts, not fueled by inferiority complexes.
Military operations are not one-size-fits-all. The terrain of Zamfara is not the deserts of the Middle East. The adversaries, bandits operating in decentralized clusters, are not conventional state actors like Iran. The resources available to Nigeria are not comparable to those of a global superpower. Yet within these constraints, the Nigerian military executed a successful rescue mission that preserved the life of its pilot and demonstrated operational synergy.
Moreover, such dismissive comparisons do a disservice to the men and women in uniform who risk their lives under extremely challenging conditions. These are individuals who operate with limited equipment, often in difficult terrains, against elusive enemies. And yet, time and again, they rise to the occasion.
This is not to argue that the Nigerian military is beyond criticism, especially when one recalls the unfortunate incident involving Brig Gen Uba of the Nigerian Army who was stranded in frontline and later captured and killed by Boko Haram terrorists. Far from it. Issues of funding, welfare, equipment, and strategy remain valid areas of concern. But critique must not descend into contempt. There is a difference between demanding better and denying what already exists.
National pride should not be mistaken for blind loyalty. It is, rather, an honest acknowledgment of effort, sacrifice, and achievement, especially when those achievements are hard-won.
The rescue of Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo stands as a testament to what is possible when courage meets coordination, even in the face of adversity.
It is a reminder that while Nigeria may not yet match the technological sophistication of the United States, it possesses something equally vital: resilient personnel, adaptive strategy, and an unyielding commitment to mission success.
Before we rush to celebrate others at the expense of our own, we must first learn to see clearly. Because sometimes, the failure is not in our institutions but in our perception of them.
*Chidi Omeje is the publisher of Security Digest (www.securitydigestng.com)