According to security analyst Amb. Abdullahi Bakoji Adamu, the biggest risk when using aerial bombardments against bandit organizations based in forests is still intelligence failure.
He cautioned that incorrect target identification could lead to civilian deaths and harm to the state’s prestige.
In response to assertions made by Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, an Islamic cleric, Bakoji made this statement in an exclusive interview.
Remember that Gumi issued a warning on Tuesday on the use of aircraft bombardments in the fight to drive out bandits from the nation’s forests.
While praising the creation of the Nigerian Forest Security Service (NFSS) to combat banditry, the cleric issued the warning.
Gumi made the following argument at his Ramadan Tafsir in Kaduna: While fighting banditry calls for decisive and well-coordinated action, using bombs during forest operations puts innocent civilians living in or near impacted regions at serious danger.
In response, Bakoji stated that while he acknowledged the worries, aerial power is still a valid security instrument when used appropriately.
“As long as there is reliable and useful intelligence, it is legitimate to use calibrated air power to target forest-based bandit groups that operate in hardened camps,” he stated.
Especially in remote terrain where ground forces have limited mobility, he said, aerial bombardment can be useful in disrupting command structures, neutralizing high-value targets, and weakening supplies.
However, he emphasized that inaccurate intelligence is the main risk associated with such operations.
“Intelligence failure is the greatest risk associated with aerial strikes.” “Misidentification of targets can result in civilian casualties, destruction of property, displacement, and harm to the state’s reputation,” Bakoji cautioned.
“Strict target verification protocols are essential before any strike is authorized,” he said, referring to the fact that criminal elements are sometimes embedded near civilian populations in difficult forest situations.
Bakoji went on to stress that air power is not sufficient to secure territory or permanently dismantle criminal networks.
“Bombing is an instrument, not a tactic. He claimed that air power by itself is insufficient to permanently destroy networks or protect areas.
According to his advice, stabilizing techniques and precision ground missions should be combined with aircraft operations.
He said, “Intelligence-led raids, precision ground operations, and stabilization efforts to prevent regrouping are all necessary for effective counter-banditry operations.”
A combined and multi-layered approach is supported by international best practices in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, which he also underlined.
He clarified that “global best practice supports intelligence dominance through HUMINT, SIGINT, and ISR capabilities, precision air support, special forces engagement, financial disruption of criminal networks, and long-term territorial control.”
“With accuracy, reliable intelligence, and appropriate follow-through operations, the question is not whether air power should be used, but how it should be used,” he stated.
In states like Kaduna and other conflict-affected areas, reports of unintentional airstrikes have surfaced in recent years, with civilians being killed as a result of apparently mistaken targets.
A Nigerian Air Force airstrike accidentally struck Tudun Biri hamlet in Igabi LGA of Kaduna in December 2023 while a religious gathering was taking place.
Following the military’s claim that it had targeted suspected bandits, dozens of people were allegedly murdered.
Additionally, on Christmas Day in December 2024, a military airstrike in Sokoto’s Silame Local Government Area is said to have killed at least ten civilians.
In Sokoto, northwest Nigeria, on December 25, 2025, the United States launched multiple airstrikes against suspected ISIS fighters. According to the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) on X, the operation was carried out in coordination with the Nigerian government and showed Washington’s commitment to countering terrorist threats worldwide.
Ladan Salihu, the former Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, or FRCN, provided a different narrative, claiming that when the lawmaker visited the impacted region, he had a conversation with Bashar Isah Jabo, a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly. There were no reported casualties when the rockets landed on an open field roughly 300 meters from a nearby hospital, according to Jabo.
