The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has dismissed as false reports alleging that it supplied arms to a socio-cultural organisation, describing the claims as misleading and capable of undermining ongoing security operations across the country.
ONSA clarified its position in a statement issued on Wednesday by Abu Michael, Head of Strategic Communications at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), in response to recent media reports circulated by some online platforms concerning security operations, particularly in forested areas of Kwara State.
According to the statement, the reports wrongly suggested that the federal government was conducting kinetic operations in collaboration with socio-cultural groups and had allegedly provided arms to such organisations.
Read also: Ribadu heads US-Nigeria working group, as Tinubu approves members
ONSA firmly denied the claims, stressing that no government agency was involved in armed operations with socio-cultural associations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the federal government and its agencies are not conducting kinetic operations with any socio-cultural groups.
“Claims that the Office of the National Security Adviser has provided arms to any socio-cultural organisation are false and should be disregarded”, the statement said.
The statement explained that the clarification became necessary due to the growing spread of inaccurate narratives about the nature and scope of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism activities, which are carefully coordinated to address threats posed by bandits, criminal networks and terrorist groups nationwide.
It noted that, in line with Part III, Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022, the NCTC under the ONSA is mandated to coordinate and support law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies in combating terrorism in all its forms.
ONSA added that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism framework, guided by the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), adopts a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to address security challenges.
As part of the kinetic strategy, it explained, hybrid forces are deployed, bringing together regular security personnel and trained irregular auxiliaries such as hunters and vigilante elements, especially in hard-to-reach terrains like forests.
The statement recalled that this model had been successfully deployed in the North East through the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a group of trained civilian volunteers who supported the Armed Forces in operations against Boko Haram insurgents.
It noted that the same framework currently guides hybrid deployments in parts of the North West and North Central zones, where it has recorded notable successes in degrading the operational capabilities of criminal and terrorist groups.
It also stressed that operations in Kwara State followed the same lawful framework, but cautioned that some media reports on the activities were inaccurate and misleading.
ONSA explained that restrictions on the disclosure of certain operational details were deliberate, given the sensitive nature of counter-terrorism operations and the need to protect both regular troops and auxiliary forces from unnecessary exposure that could compromise their safety or mission objectives.
It further clarified that all hybrid personnel involved in counter-terrorism efforts were recruited directly by authorised security and intelligence agencies after strict due diligence processes, and that all operations were conducted in accordance with the law and established standard operating procedures.
ONSA, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard unverified reports that misrepresent the conduct of security operations, while advising the media to exercise restraint, accuracy and professionalism in reporting security-related matters.
The NCTC also called on journalists to protect sensitive security information and to seek clarification through designated official spokespersons when in doubt, reaffirming its commitment to an open-door policy aimed at enhancing public understanding and stakeholder confidence in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
