Why Security Forces Can’t Strike Bandits Directly, Says Onanuga

Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has offered fresh insight into why Nigeria’s security agencies are constrained in launching direct attacks on bandits operating across the northern region, despite public pressure for a more forceful response.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, Onanuga disclosed that security operatives have detailed intelligence on the locations and operational corridors of various bandit groups. However, he stressed that the armed forces are compelled to adopt a cautious posture to avoid high civilian casualties.

According to him, many of the bandits operate from within heavily populated communities, making pre-emptive strikes risky and potentially disastrous.

“The security personnel must act carefully to avoid harming citizens,” he said. “We’ve seen what can go wrong. In Borno some years ago, the military believed it had pinpointed a terrorist hideout, only for a mistaken bombing to hit innocent people. That incident remains a painful reminder of the need for extreme caution.”

Onanuga’s comments follow a troubling surge in violent attacks, including the mass abduction of 38 worshippers from a Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State. Although all the victims were eventually rescued following a directive by President Bola Tinubu, several were reported killed during the ordeal.

A separate incident in Niger State saw more than 200 pupils abducted from a Catholic private school. About 50 children managed to escape and have since been reunited with their families, leaving authorities scrambling to secure the release of the remaining captives.

Onanuga noted that while citizens demand swift justice, the military is operating in a delicate ecosystem where any miscalculation could result in catastrophic collateral damage.

“They need to be very careful so that in the course of looking for these bandits, they don’t go and bomb innocent Nigerians,” he emphasised.