Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, says security agencies are fully aware of the identities and hideouts of bandit groups operating across northern Nigeria, but direct air or ground assaults are often impossible due to the high risk of harming abducted civilians.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking during an interview on ARISE News’ Prime Time on Monday, Onanuga referenced the recent mass abduction at St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State, noting that security forces know the bandits responsible and where they operate. However, he said operational decisions must prioritise the safety of hostages.
“The security people, they know all the bandits that are operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate,” he said. But he added that government forces cannot simply strike these locations, citing earlier incidents in Borno State where civilians were mistakenly hit during counter-insurgency operations.
Onanuga also highlighted challenges with verifying the number of abducted persons during such incidents. “As of now, the authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing. You said students are missing—let us have their names. Let us know what we are looking for,” he said, noting that the disappearance of the school principal has further complicated rescue efforts.
He explained that bandits often use kidnapped civilians as human shields, restricting the military’s ability to attack their enclaves.
The presidential aide defended ongoing government efforts to strengthen national security, pointing to plans to reassign police officers from VIP protection to frontline operations. “I read today about 100,000 policemen guarding VIPs. If you share them out to vulnerable areas, that will make a lot of difference,” he said. He added that President Tinubu is expected to address the nation soon after receiving comprehensive security briefings.
In a related development, Onanuga criticised comments by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, in which he appeared to welcome potential United States military action in Nigeria. The remarks were in response to a social-media post by former U.S. President Donald Trump calling for preparations for possible intervention over alleged “Christian genocide.”
“If Donald Trump said he will invade Nigeria, I will welcome it with open arms because security is my priority,” Obi said in a resurfaced video clip. Onanuga described the comment as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and warned that the government would not overlook such statements.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected Trump’s claims, with spokesman Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa stressing that attacks in the country affect citizens of all religions and are not state-sanctioned.
President Tinubu, speaking at a defence briefing in Abuja, also dismissed the allegations, noting the appointment of a Christian as Chief of Defence Staff and ongoing consultations with religious leaders to reinforce interfaith harmony. Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala added that Nigeria welcomes foreign support only when it respects the nation’s territorial integrity.
Obi’s comments, originally made on 23 November, reflect earlier calls he made for diplomatic cooperation between Abuja and Washington to address worsening insecurity. However, Onanuga said the administration views such remarks as undermining national authority, especially as bandit attacks continue to force school closures and deny thousands of children access to education across northern states.
