…Says DSS, military contacted bandits to free 38 Kwara worshippers
The Presidency has offered fresh insight into how 38 worshippers kidnapped from Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, in Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, were rescued — and why the military cannot simply bomb bandit hideouts despite having intelligence on their locations.
Speaking on a television programme on Monday, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, said the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military used a non-kinetic approach, making direct contact with the kidnappers and demanding the victims’ immediate release.
“After the incident happened, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue efforts. They got in contact with the bandits to release those people unharmed, and finally on Sunday they were able to get them out”, he stated.
Onanuga explained that although security agencies have long tracked the armed groups, they often avoid direct strikes to prevent killing abducted civilians used as human shields. “What sometimes restrains them is the risk of collateral damage,” he said.
He added that the kidnappers complied because they understood the consequences of defying government orders. President Tinubu later confirmed that the abducted worshippers were released on November 23.
Onanuga also addressed public concerns about the government’s reluctance to launch immediate airstrikes on bandit camps, including those responsible for the recent attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
According to him, the military cannot simply bomb known hideouts because civilian communities live around the camps, and a mistaken strike could be deadly. He referenced a past incident in Borno State where the military bombed the wrong target based on faulty satellite readings. “They know all the bandits operating in that axis… but you can’t just go there. They must avoid a repeat of that kind of mistake,” he said.
The presidential aide reiterated that armed groups deliberately use abducted civilians as shields, complicating military operations. “If they keep those people and refuse to release them, the next thing will be for the Government to embark on kinetic action”, he warned.
He also assured Nigerians that the President will address the nation soon as security briefings conclude. “This government has never denied that Nigerians are being killed. We know we have problems, but we are making efforts to ensure that we stem all these things”, he stated.
