Should Buhari have disclosed air raid against bandits?

Bandits in Niger and Kaduna have held some communities hostage for weeks now. They have killed many and looted. The President recently ordered an air raid against the insurgents. The question on the lips of many is, should the president have disclosed this information, considering it was a piece of vital security information?

Mr Bello Razaq, 24, Building Contractor, Osun State

The air raid on the bandits is a right step and I commend President Muhammadu Buhari for this. However, there was no need to disclose the plan to carry out the operation so as not to alert the bandits. If Buhari disclosed the air raid, the bandits will not wait to be killed. The fight against bandits must be done in strategic ways to suppress them”.

Mrs Oluwatosin Olayemi, 28, Fashion Designer, Osogbo

It was wrong to disclose the planned air raid on the bandits because it will amount to telling them to run away. Buhari should not have disclosed the information because security goes with secrecy or else, It will not be security without secrecy. I’m only concerned that innocent people might also be in the area at the time of the raid ad may end up being killed. I didn’t expect the president to announce the operation but there could be a way to warn the law-abiding citizens to stay away from the area probably by declaring curfew as you know that the bandits will disregard it and law-abiding people would have stayed back.

Prince Obiaku, 30, HR Professional, Lagos

Absolutely not, he shouldn’t have done that. Not only does that compromise the position of the security operatives, but it also gives the bandits a heads up of such an attack. It will reduce the effectiveness and efficiency of the plan when carried out. Such attacks should be kept secret and bandits should be caught off guard.

Barrister Aliwo, former Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Lokoja

I guess it was not the president who had fought wars and insurgency that published that story. He would be wrong to do that for strategic security reasons. This banditry has gone beyond child’s play. Otherwise, I would have said that publication was done to create fear among the insurgents and give hope to the hopeless victims.

Kabir Yusuf, a Public Affairs Analyst and Businessman, Lokoja, Kogi State

The air raid ordered by the president is in order if its on target. However, going public with it was wrong because it availed the criminals’ an opportunity to go under and regroup again somewhere else.
It’s even more worrisome especially that these bandits are always ahead of the security agencies and one can hardly predict their next target. Moreso, that they mostly attack at night and these communities don’t have communication networks.

Ayodeji Nathaniel, 27, Researcher, Kaduna

No, he shouldn’t have revealed those details. Mainly because intending attacks on bandits are referred to as a matter of National Security. And he announcing it’s intended plans will give the bandits time and means to avoid the attack. He should have carried on with the air raid without alerting the bandits. He can then praise the operatives after the operation.

Pwakim Jacob Choji, 36 Development worker, Jos

Typical of Nigeria where we have not demarcated the difference between sensitive and non-sensitive information. Such should have been a military tactic found only within the military High commands but for the fact that it is already in the public corridors, its already a failed venture which will not produce any result. (It happened on the Plateau when the military was to go to parts of Barkin Ladi and Riyom after the death of Senator Dantang and Hon. Gyang Fulani, what result did it achieve when news of military operation is announced on radio and television? I have interpreted it as a lack of government political will to address this act of terrorism (not insurgency). Besides, bombing a place is not really recommended because they are using hostages as a coverup so there would be many collateral damages. What I feel they should do is understanding the terror group itself so as to strike at areas that will reduce their strength. When you bomb them today, they will shift ground and recruit more people.

Dr Ishola Salami, Lecturer, Ibadan

A layman like me will be wondering why the president should declare his next move on air; will the targets not get this signal and either escape or be fully prepared for the action? But as a former Military Head of State, I want to believe the president knew what he was doing, otherwise, he was indirectly informing the bandits to escape.

This issue is a sensitive one as it has to do with security of the citizenry. In any case, two things are expected now; it is either the air raids get as many as possible of the bandits killed, if the president is on top of the game or it may just end in futility since he has let the cat out of the bag.

Elisha Olaitan, 35, Business Strategist, Lagos

While I will admit that as the Chief Security Officer of the country, he owes the citizen the duty to safeguard lives and carrying them along with regards to activities in that direction as such from that premise disclosing the planned raid isn’t a bad initiative. However, considering the humongous security challenge facing the country specifically regarding the nefarious activities of the bandits; it may be a disservice to have announced the planned raid because it gives the enemy who obviously will not be on the relax mode an opportunity to plan. The most important thing for me is if due processes are followed in the course of deploying air military to the region.