The Nigerian government has given reasons why the military cannot drop bombs on the hideouts of bandits despite having intelligence on their locations amid the wave of rising insecurity.
In an interview on Arise Television, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, said the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military used a non-kinetic approach, making direct contact with the kidnappers and demanding the victims’ immediate release.“After the incident happened, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue efforts. They got in contact with the bandits to release those people unharmed, and finally on Sunday they were able to get them out”, he stated.
Onanuga further noted that although security agencies have long tracked the armed groups, they often avoid direct strikes to prevent killing abducted civilians used as human shields. “What sometimes restrains them is the risk of collateral damage,” he said.
The President’s media aide added that the kidnappers complied because they understood the consequences of defying government orders. President Tinubu later confirmed that the abducted worshippers were released on November 23.
Speaking on the conversations about the reluctance of the government to launch immediate airstrikes on bandit camps, including those responsible for the recent attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State. Onanuga said it will be deadly if the military drops a bomb on known hideouts, as there are civilian communities around those camps.
He referenced a past incident in Borno State where the military bombed the wrong target based on faulty satellite readings. “They know all the bandits operating in that axis… but you can’t just go there. They must avoid a repeat of that kind of mistake,” he said.According to him, bandits deliberately use abducted civilians as shields, complicating military operations. “If they keep those people and refuse to release them, the next thing will be for the Government to embark on kinetic action”, he warned.
Onanuga assured Nigerians that President Tinubu will address the nation soon as security briefings conclude. “This government has never denied that Nigerians are being killed. We know we have problems, but we are making efforts to ensure that we stem all these things”, he stated.There has been criticism on the approach of the government to the armed groups operating in the northern part of Nigeria. Some accused the government of being soft on them, while in the southern part of the country, dissenting voices are dealt with.
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