The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended the administrations handling of ongoing insecurity across northern Nigeria. Speaking on Monday, Nov. 24, during an interview on ARISE Newss programme Prime Time, Onanuga said that security agencies are fully aware of the identities and locations of bandit groups responsible for mass abductions, including the attack on St Marys Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State. However, he explained that operational constraints and the risk of harming abducted civilians prevent immediate airstrikes on bandit enclaves. The security people, they know all the bandits that are operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate, Onanuga said. He stressed that the government cannot simply launch attacks on these enclaves, noting past mistakes in Borno State where military operations inadvertently struck civilians. Onanuga further pointed at the difficulties in verifying abduction cases. He said: As of now, the authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing. You said students are missinglet us have their names. Let us know what we are looking for. He added that the school principals disappearance has complicated security efforts. He further stated that security forces are often restrained by the use of abducted civilians as human shields. The presidential aide also pointed to steps by the government to bolster security, including redeploying officers from VIP protection to frontline duties. 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.
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