The Nigerian government has explained why the military refrains from using airstrikes against bandit camps, even though their positions are known, amid growing insecurity across the country.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, said that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military often rely on non-kinetic strategies, establishing direct communication with kidnappers to secure the safe release of abducted victims.
“After the incident, the DSS and military engaged with the bandits to ensure the safe release of the victims. By Sunday, the abductees were successfully freed,” Onanuga explained.
He stressed that although security forces have long tracked these armed groups, they avoid direct attacks to prevent civilian casualties, as bandits often use abducted persons as human shields. “What sometimes restrains them is the risk of collateral damage,” he said.
Onanuga noted that the compliance of kidnappers is partly due to their awareness of the consequences of defying government directives. President Tinubu later confirmed that worshippers abducted in recent attacks were released on November 23.
Addressing questions about the government’s hesitancy to launch airstrikes on bandit enclaves—including those responsible for the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State—Onanuga warned that bombing these hideouts would endanger nearby civilian communities. He referenced a previous Borno State incident in which the military mistakenly struck the wrong target due to faulty satellite intelligence.
“They know all the bandits in that axis… but you cannot just attack. Such mistakes must be avoided,” he said.
He further explained that bandits deliberately retain abductees to complicate military responses. “If they continue to hold these individuals, the government may eventually take kinetic action,” he added.
Onanuga assured Nigerians that President Tinubu will address the nation once ongoing security briefings conclude, reiterating the administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity. “This government has never denied that Nigerians are being killed. We know we face challenges, but efforts are ongoing to curb these threats,” he stated.
Despite these explanations, the government has faced criticism over its approach to armed groups in northern Nigeria, with some accusing it of being lenient, while dissenting voices in the south reportedly face harsher measures.
