CSO Coalition Debunks Alleged ₦50bn Bandit Amnesty Deal, Backs Army, Demands Crackdown on Fake News Network

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ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity, and Justice has dismissed as “false, malicious and entirely fabricated” reports alleging that the Federal Government is secretly negotiating a ₦50 billion amnesty package for notorious bandit leaders in the North-West, describing the claim as a coordinated disinformation campaign designed to undermine Nigeria’s security efforts.

In a strongly worded press statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Coordinator and Convener, Comrade James Okoronkwo, the coalition warned that those behind the rumour were “war profiteers and political detractors” seeking to demoralize troops, erode public confidence in the military, and create unnecessary tension between Nigerians and the country’s security institutions.

The coalition disclosed that its National Secretariat had intercepted what it described as “a highly toxic, malicious, and entirely fabricated narrative currently being circulated across digital blogs and WhatsApp broadcast networks.”

According to the statement, the fake report falsely alleged that the Federal Government was bypassing the Nigerian military to secretly negotiate a ₦50 billion “Amnesty and Settlement” package with notorious bandit kingpins operating in the North-West.

“As a frontline civil society watchdog, we state categorically that this rumor is the hallucination of desperate war profiteers and political detractors. There is no secret amnesty, and there is no ₦50 billion payout,” the coalition declared.

The organisation said its independent intelligence and media monitoring units had investigated the source and motive behind the misinformation, concluding that the campaign was deliberately orchestrated to weaken public support for ongoing military operations.

“Our independent intelligence and media monitoring units have traced the motive behind this coordinated disinformation campaign,” the statement noted.

The coalition argued that under the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the Nigerian Army had intensified military offensives against armed bandits, recording significant operational successes across affected communities.

It maintained that these operations had severely weakened criminal networks, prompting those benefiting from insecurity to resort to misinformation campaigns.

“Under the decisive leadership of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the Nigerian Army has launched devastating kinetic offensives that are currently decimating bandit enclaves.

“These criminal syndicates are being rapidly degraded, while their political sponsors and war profiteers—who have historically benefited financially from national insecurity—are now resorting to cheap digital blackmail. Their objective is to demoralize our gallant frontline soldiers, incite public rage against the government, and manufacture a fake rift between the masses and the national security architecture,” the statement added.

The coalition stressed that it would not allow what it described as “agents of destabilization” to undermine the sacrifices and achievements of Nigerian troops through propaganda.

“We will not allow agents of destabilization to use cheap propaganda to steal the hard-won victories of our military. The defense of our homeland is a collective responsibility,” it said.

As part of efforts to strengthen public participation in national security, the coalition announced that it would jointly host a National Security Summit with the Network of Youth Groups in Nigeria on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Abuja.

According to the organisation, the summit will promote a “Whole-of-Society” approach to national security while supporting the Nigerian Army’s Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) initiative.
“This Summit, in direct strategic alignment with the Nigerian Army’s Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) mandate, will consolidate our ‘Whole-of-Society’ approach, ensuring that youth-led intelligence and grassroots support serve as an impenetrable shield for our military forces,” the coalition explained.

The civil society coalition also called on security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible for originating and circulating the alleged false report.
“We call on the Department of State Services and the National Cybercrime Center to immediately track and prosecute the source of this treasonable fake news,” the statement said.

The organisation further appealed to newspaper editors, online publishers and digital platforms across the country to exercise restraint by refusing to publish or amplify unverified security-related information capable of aiding criminal elements.

“We urge all credible newspaper editors and digital platforms to treat this amnesty rumor with the absolute contempt it deserves and refuse to amplify terrorist propaganda,” it stated.

Reaffirming its support for the nation’s armed forces, the coalition passed what it described as “a resounding vote of confidence” on the Chief of Army Staff and the entire Nigerian Armed Forces.

“Civil society stands firmly behind you. No retreat, no surrender,” the statement concluded.

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