Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, has explained why the Nigerian military responded swiftly to disturbances in the Benin Republic but was unable to tackle bandits and address the long-standing insecurity in Nigeria.
Onanuga stated that bandits and terrorists use innocent Nigerians as shields in an appearance on “Prime Time,” an Arise Television program on Monday. He emphasized that battling them is not the same as fighting a traditional army.
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He stated that most of the time, the bandits and terrorists kidnap soft targets, adding that there should be utmost care not to bomb those they are holding as collateral.
“I think it’s a different ball game altogether. The internal one is more of a symmetric war. I think our military people have been saying that, but people don’t seem to understand what it was talking about.
“Look at the case of Benin Republic now. They wanted to bomb a military base in Benin. They know where to where to go. They coordinated where they should actually bomb, which is what they did.
“Unlike those people the bandits and terrorists are holding up as shield. They are always kidnapping soft targets and so on. You have to be very careful not to go and bomb those they are holding as collaterals.
“These are like a gorilla. Even the almighty America couldn’t find gorillas in Afghanistan as well. It’s not easy.
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“It’s not an easy war, but I think the country is poised to find a way around it to make sure that all this banditry and terrorism will end in a very short time,” he said.
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