The Federal Government has shed light on the contentious issue of why Nigerian military forces cannot simply bomb bandit hideouts, despite widespread public calls for such action to combat escalating violence and abductions. According to government officials, the presence of civilian populations in and around these bandit camps makes large-scale bombing operations impossible without risking massive collateral damage.
Speaking on Arise TV, Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasised, “Bandit hideouts identified by security services are often surrounded by villages or located within areas where many innocent Nigerians reside. If we bomb these places indiscriminately, we risk killing hundreds of noncombatants.”
He added, “The terrain is very complex. Villages are interwoven with the forests and hills that bandits use as their bases. Our priority remains the protection of innocent lives, even while pursuing violent criminal groups.”
Security analysts echo these concerns, pointing out that bandits often use abducted Nigerians as human shields and intentionally select hideouts that minimize the risk of airstrikes. The challenge is further complicated by the terrain itself, with forests and rocky regions in Northwest and Northcentral Nigeria making direct, precise military operations difficult.
The government maintains that while intelligence services regularly pinpoint bandit camps, action plans must be weighed against the humanitarian risks. As one senior official noted, “We have to avoid measures that will deepen tragedy and increase displacement. The fight is ongoing, and our forces are looking for safer ways to neutralise these criminals.”
