It took us only 60 seconds to rescue American hostage in Northern Nigeria – FBI director nominee

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, revealed on Thursday that U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six carried out a dramatic hostage rescue in northern Nigeria, saving an American citizen in just 60 seconds.

The operation targeted Philip Walton, a 27-year-old American missionary’s son, who had been kidnapped by armed bandits from neighboring Niger and held for ransom in northern Nigeria.

Patel shared the details of the mission during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate on January 30, 2025. He faced intense questioning about his role in the operation to free Walton, who had been taken across the border by the bandits.

“The operation lasted for 60 seconds,” Patel said during the hearing.

Patel also responded to accusations regarding a false claim he made about Nigerian authorities granting permission for the SEAL Team to use the country’s airspace. As the architect of the rescue mission, Patel had obtained intelligence on Walton’s location and acted quickly, anticipating that the bandits might relocate him. While the operation was underway, U.S. officials learned that the Nigerian government had not authorized the SEAL Team to enter their airspace.

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in his memoir, described Patel’s actions as one of his many missteps and expressed concern over the safety of the SEALs on this unsanctioned mission. Esper recounted his worries about the risk to the operators, noting, “I was concerned that being packed in an aircraft burning holes in the sky for an extra hour or so would wear on the special operators, that it might affect their readiness somehow,” as cited by ABC News.

Esper further revealed that his team suspected Patel had fabricated the story about Nigerian approval. “My team suspected Patel made the approval story up, but they didn’t have all the facts,” he wrote.

Patel denied the allegations in his book Government Gangsters, where he claimed that certain individuals sought to obstruct President Trump’s counterterrorism efforts in Africa and the Middle East.

Despite the complications surrounding airspace clearance, the operation was ultimately successful. The U.S. State Department intervened and swiftly secured approval for the SEAL Team to land in Nigeria, leading to Walton’s safe rescue.

Patel’s nomination for FBI Director has faced significant opposition, and it remains unclear if he was able to satisfactorily address the concerns raised during his confirmation hearing.