Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has warned that some bandit enclaves remain difficult to hit with aerial strikes because they are deep inside dense forest areas.
He said the complexity of the terrain has limited the effectiveness of certain military bombardments, even as troops intensify operations.
Minister warns of hard-to-reach bandit enclaves
Badaru stressed that the armed forces have made significant progress against criminal groups but noted that recent school abductions show that the threat has not fully disappeared. He said the government is adjusting strategies to prevent further setbacks.
“These criminals move in ways typical of guerrilla fighters, quiet for a while, then suddenly striking to create panic,” he said.
The minister explained that despite better intelligence, some hideouts remain risky to target directly due to the presence of civilians or the thickness of the bush.
He added that security agencies are reviewing their methods to avoid collateral damage while sustaining pressure on the gunmen.
He urged Nigerians to remain patient, saying the renewed attacks do not signal a collapse in operations but rather the unpredictable nature of asymmetric warfare.
Government adjusts strategy amid guerrilla-style attacks
“Yes, we know their locations, but some of these areas are places where direct strikes could endanger civilians, or forests where our bombs cannot penetrate,” Badaru said.
“We never said the problem was completely over. But this renewed kidnapping of schoolchildren worries us. We are studying what went wrong and how to prevent a recurrence,” he added.
Badaru insisted that the government has not declared the conflict resolved, cautioning that such criminal networks tend to regroup when pressured.
He described the latest kidnappings as a serious concern that has prompted an immediate reassessment of field tactics.
He said troops remain deployed across affected zones and are working with community sources to track movements and disrupt planned assaults.
The minister also assured that authorities are learning from the recent incidents to improve rapid response and strengthen protection measures around vulnerable schools and settlements.