Presidential Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, says President Bola Tinubu’s administration maintains a firm policy against negotiating with bandits or any terrorist group.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Bwala said previous governments sometimes engaged violent groups because of Nigeria’s complex security challenges. But he stressed that Tinubu has adopted a zero-tolerance stance.
“There was a time the federal government was negotiating with terrorists,” Bwala said, recalling past policies that allowed dialogue in extreme situations. He added that earlier administrations considered negotiation only when citizens’ lives were in immediate danger.
“President Tinubu came with this zero tolerance on negotiation because it didn’t fit into terrorism financing,” he said.
According to him, ransom payments only empower criminal groups. “You are constructively financing terrorism without knowing it. Instead of stopping them, the ransom money is used to buy more weapons,” he warned.
The presidential aide said this is why the Federal Government “does not tolerate the idea of negotiation” with kidnappers or violent extremists.He added that the administration remains committed to decisive security operations to protect Nigerians without strengthening criminal networks.
