By Ayo Kehinde
The Presidency has shed light on why security agencies often refrain from carrying out airstrikes on bandits, even when their hideouts are clearly identified.
Speaking on Arise TV’s news programme on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the overriding concern is the safety of civilians who may be held captive or live near the criminal enclaves.
Onanuga explained that security operatives have credible intelligence on the movement and locations of bandit groups across affected regions.
However, he noted that rules of engagement and humanitarian considerations demand extreme caution.
“The security people know all the bandits operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate,” he said.
He added that intelligence gathering has significantly improved in recent years.
He stressed that many bandit hideouts are located close to rural communities, where innocent civilians—including kidnapped victims—are present.
This, he said, makes aerial bombardment a dangerous option.
“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 bomb innocent Nigerians,” he cautioned.
Onanuga referenced a past incident in Borno State, where a military airstrike mistakenly hit civilians due to a misinterpretation of surveillance data.
That experience, he said, underscores the need for accuracy, restraint and improved operational intelligence.
“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 the Federal Government is equipping security agencies with enhanced surveillance systems, modern technology and improved operational guidelines to minimise risks and increase precision.
Despite the constraints, Onanuga assured that troops and other security agencies are intensifying ground offensives, intelligence sharing and coordinated operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks.
He reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to restoring peace and strengthening operational capacity within the defence and security architecture, noting that ongoing reforms are already delivering measurable gains.
Onanuga urged Nigerians to remain patient and continue supporting security agencies, stressing that the complexity of banditry requires strategic, carefully executed responses rather than indiscriminate force
