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The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has disclosed that security agencies are fully aware of the identities and locations of the bandit groups responsible for recent mass abductions, including the attack on St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State.
Onanuga made the disclosure on Monday during an interview on ARISE News‘s programme, Prime Time.
According to him, although security operatives have the necessary intelligence, their operations are often constrained by the risk of collateral damage to civilians being held by the bandits.
“The security people, they know all the bandits that are operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate,” he said.
Onanuga stressed that the government cannot simply launch airstrikes on the identified enclaves.
“Our people are living around where they operate. So you can’t just go there. They need to be very careful that in the course of chasing these bandits, they don’t go and bomb innocent Nigerians,” he said.
The presidential aide recalled a past incident in Borno State where the military mistakenly struck civilians.
“Some years ago in Borno State, when the military thought they had the right satellite connection, they bombed the wrong people. They must avoid that kind of mistake,” he said.
He added that uncertainty persists about the exact number of abducted students because neither the school nor the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has provided complete records.
“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.
Onanuga also claimed that the school principal had “disappeared”, complicating the verification process.
“For the security, they found it very strange that they are not cooperating. What is the agenda?” he asked.
He further explained the reason security forces do not immediately storm bandit camps after abductions.
“What sometimes restrains them from going after them is the risk of collateral damage. They go about abducting our people and use them as a shield so that they will not be attacked,” he said.
Onanuga added that the bandits understand the consequences of defying government pressure.
“They know that if they keep those people and refuse to release them, the next thing will be for the government to embark on a kinetic action and attack their base,” he said.
On the President’s directive redeploying officers from VIP protection to frontline duties, Onanuga said the measure would significantly improve security in vulnerable areas.
“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.
Responding to criticism from church leaders, Onanuga insisted that the administration recognises the seriousness of the current security situation.
“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 said.
The presidential aide disclosed that the President is expected to address the nation soon following ongoing security consultations.
“I think he will do so very soon,” he said.
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