Presidency: Our Security Forces Know Every Bandits in Those Axes; They Even Negotiate Release of Kwara Abductees by Phone

By Tgnews Reporter

The Presidency on Tuesday night made a stunning revelation, stating that Nigerian security operatives are fully aware of the identities and locations of bandit groups terrorising Zamfara, Kaduna, and other North-West states, and routinely call the criminals directly to secure the release of kidnapped victims.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this while responding to growing public outrage over the continued dominance of armed bandits in rural communities despite years of military operations.

According to Onanuga, security agents “know all the bandits that operate in that axis” and “know where they operate,” but are deliberately restrained from launching pre-emptive arrests or strikes because the criminals live and hide among innocent civilians.

“You cannot just go and start arresting or attacking them because of collateral damage. They live among the people,” he explained.

The presidential aide further revealed that in many abduction cases, security operatives bypass formal operations and simply place phone calls to the bandit leaders, who then “comply” and release captives after negotiations.

“They (security men) call them, talk to them, and they release the people. That is what has been happening,” Onanuga said, adding that such back-channel engagements have led to the freeing of numerous victims without bloodshed.

The statement has sparked intense reactions across the country, with many Nigerians questioning why known criminals who can be reached by telephone and persuaded to release hostages are not being tracked, arrested, or neutralised.

Critics argue that the disclosure confirms long-held fears of compromise, complicity, or systemic helplessness within sections of the security architecture.

Meanwhile, families in bandit-ravaged communities in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger States say they now live in open-air prisons where criminal warlords operate with phone numbers known to the authorities, yet remain untouchable.

The Presidency insisted that the current approach prioritises the safety of civilians, but pledged that the government remains committed to ending the decade-long insurgency “once and for all.”