The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has rejected false reports alleging arms supply to a socio-cultural organisation, describing the claims as misleading and capable of undermining ongoing security operations across the country.
ONSA made its position clear 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 regarding security operations particularly in the forest areas of Kwara State.
According to the statement, reports falsely suggested that the federal government was conducting kinetic operations in collaboration with socio-cultural groups and had allegedly provided weapons to such organizations.
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ONSA strongly denied the claims, emphasizing 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 dynamic operations with any socio-cultural groups.
“Claims that the Office of the National Security Adviser has provided weapons to any socio-cultural organization are false and should be ignored,” the statement said.
The statement explained that the clarification has become necessary due to the increasing spread of false narratives about the nature and scope of Nigeria's counter-terrorism activities, which are carefully coordinated to combat the threats posed by bandits, criminal networks and terrorist groups across the country.
It said that, in line with Part III, Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism Act, 2022, the NCTC under ONSA is mandated to coordinate and support law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies in combating all forms of terrorism.
ONSA said 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 said, hybrid forces are deployed, bringing together regular security personnel and trained irregular reinforcements such as hunters and surveillance elements, especially in difficult terrain such as forests.
The statement recalled that this model was 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 said the same framework currently guides hybrid deployment in parts of the North West and North Central regions, where it has recorded notable successes in reducing the operational capabilities of criminal and terrorist groups.
It also stressed that operations in Kwara State followed the same legal framework, but cautioned that some media reports on the activities were inaccurate and misleading.
ONSA reported that given the sensitive nature of counter-terrorism operations and the need to protect both regular troops and support forces from unnecessary risk, restrictions were deliberately imposed on the disclosure of certain operational details that could compromise their security or mission objectives.
It further clarified that all hybrid personnel involved in counter-terrorism efforts were recruited directly by authorized security and intelligence agencies following strict due diligence processes, and 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 them to exercise restraint, accuracy and professionalism in reporting security-related matters.
The NCTC also called on journalists to protect sensitive security information and seek clarification through designated official spokespersons when in doubt, reaffirming its commitment to an open policy aimed at enhancing public understanding and stakeholder confidence in Nigeria's counter-terrorism efforts.
