Tinubu Administration Rejects Negotiation with Bandits — Adviser Bwala

Presidential Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration strictly refuses to negotiate with bandits or terrorist groups.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Bwala noted that previous governments occasionally engaged in dialogue with violent groups due to the complexities of Nigeria’s security challenges.

“There was a time the federal government was negotiating with terrorists,” Bwala recalled, citing former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai on prior policies that allowed federal and state authorities to negotiate under extreme circumstances.

Earlier administrations sometimes opted for dialogue to protect citizens’ lives, which he acknowledged as the government’s primary duty. “If citizens are in danger and negotiation is the only option to save them, then you have to do what is necessary at that moment,” he explained.

However, Bwala emphasized that President Tinubu’s policy is markedly different. “President Tinubu came with this zero tolerance on negotiation because it didn’t fit into terrorism financing,” he said.

He warned that paying ransom only strengthens criminal networks. “You are constructively financing terrorism without knowing it. Instead of the elements who are sponsoring them, the ransom money ends up being used to buy more weapons,” Bwala noted.

For this reason, he said, the Federal Government “does not tolerate the idea of negotiation” with kidnappers or violent extremists.

Bwala affirmed that the administration remains committed to decisive security operations, ensuring Nigerians are protected without inadvertently empowering criminal organizations.

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