Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has berated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for his comments on recent military airstrikes in Borno State, accusing him of distorting facts and undermining national security efforts.
In a strongly worded post on his X handle, captioned “Atiku: A Questionable Patriot,” Dare said the opposition figure’s remarks alleging civilian targeting in the Jilli axis were misleading and failed to acknowledge the operational realities confronting troops on the frontlines.
Dare explained that the Nigerian Air Force carried out intelligence-driven strikes on identified insurgent enclaves within and around the area commonly referred to as Jilli Market.
He maintained that while the location retained its name, it had, over the years, been overtaken and repurposed by terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP, as a logistics and coordination hub.
According to him, credible intelligence had consistently indicated that the area served as a node for the movement of supplies and fighters, making it a legitimate military target in the ongoing counterinsurgency campaign.
The presidential aide warned that portraying such operations as attacks on civilians did not only misinform the public but also weakened national resolve and eroded the morale of troops engaged in high-risk operations.
He further criticised what he described as a pattern of contradictory statements by Atiku, noting that the former vice president frequently condemned the government over insecurity but was quick to fault decisive military actions when they were undertaken.
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Dare argued that such rhetoric amounted to opportunistic politics, stressing that national security issues required a level of responsibility and restraint, particularly from senior political figures.
He urged stakeholders to support the Armed Forces and avoid narratives that could embolden insurgent elements or create confusion about the objectives of ongoing operations.
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