Presidency Strategist Bayo Onanuga Commends Nigerian Armed Forces For Recent Strategic Wins Against Multi Front Insurgency

Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga highlights recent Nigerian military victories, including hostage rescues and terrorist neutralizations, to counter security critics.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 22, 2026, 4:18 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Authority Newspapers

Countering Critics With Operational Success

The Presidency has issued a formal rebuttal to critics of Nigeria's security landscape, presenting a detailed catalog of recent military triumphs across several conflict theaters. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, asserted that armchair analysts often overlook the systemic gains made by the armed forces. Drawing on daily reports from counter-insurgency experts, Onanuga highlighted that the military is effectively engaging a wide array of non-state actors, ranging from ISWAP and Boko Haram to ethnic militias and crude oil thieves.

High Profile Rescues And Domestic Criminality

A major focal point of the report was the successful rescue of thirteen passengers kidnapped from a Benue Links bus in the Ohimini Local Government Area. Onanuga noted that while initial media reports hastily attributed the attack to "Fulani bandits," military intelligence confirmed the perpetrators were actually local criminal elements. This distinction is critical to the government’s narrative, which suggests that much of the current insecurity is driven by locally grown criminality rather than exclusively external or ethnic groups.

Addressing Communal Violence In Plateau State

The security situation in Plateau State remains a significant priority for the administration, with Operation Enduring Peace reporting several key arrests. In Jos North and Riyom, troops apprehended multiple suspects linked to targeted killings and the possession of illicit arms. Onanuga detailed a specific operation where nine ethnic militiamen were arrested with blood stains on their bodies, suggesting direct involvement in "silent killings." These operations are intended to break the cycle of reprisal attacks between farmers and herders that have destabilized the region for decades.