The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has revealed that security agencies possess full knowledge of the identities and locations of bandit groups responsible for recent mass abductions, including the attack on St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
Speaking on ARISE News’ programme Prime Time, Onanuga explained that while security operatives have the intelligence needed to act, their efforts are often restricted by the potential risk to civilians 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 carry out airstrikes on these enclaves because of the proximity of civilian populations.
“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.”
Recalling a past military mistake in Borno State, he added, “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 further highlighted the difficulty in confirming the exact number of abducted students, noting that neither the school nor the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria had submitted 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 revealed that the school principal had “disappeared,” complicating efforts to verify the situation.
“For the security, they found it very strange that they are not cooperating. What is the agenda?” he queried.
