Daniel Bwala Defends Tinubu Government Over Corruption, Security Concerns in Al Jazeera Interview

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has rejected allegations of widespread corruption in the Nigerian government, describing them as opinions rather than verified facts.

Bwala made the remarks during a tense appearance on Head to Head, a programme hosted by Mehdi Hasan on Al Jazeera, where he was questioned about corruption allegations against the Tinubu administration, Nigeria’s security situation and his past criticism of the government before joining it.

When confronted with claims that he had previously accused the government of corruption while in the opposition, Bwala dismissed the suggestion that his earlier comments amounted to proof of wrongdoing.

“That’s the opinion,” he said, arguing that the remarks attributed to him did not accurately reflect the full context of his previous statements.

During the interview, Bwala also addressed a controversial joint military operation involving Nigeria and the United States, in which American forces struck targets in Nigeria on Christmas Day. He rejected claims that the United States carried out the operation unilaterally.

According to him, the strike followed intelligence sharing and coordination between the two governments. Bwala said Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, communicated with Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, who then informed the president before the operation was carried out.

“The United States government did not bomb our country,” Bwala said, adding that the action was part of an agreed counterterrorism effort.

He also rejected claims that Christians are being systematically targeted for genocide in Nigeria, including assertions previously made by Donald Trump.

Bwala said insurgent groups such as Boko Haram, along with bandits and other criminal groups, attack Nigerians regardless of religion.

“We believe that it is a targeted killing by insurgents, Boko Haram, bandits and criminal elements against the people of Nigeria — Christians, Muslims and those who have not identified with any religion,” he said, describing the genocide narrative as false.

When asked about reports of civilian casualties linked to the military strikes, including testimony cited by The Washington Post, Bwala maintained that the operation targeted militants.

“I am saying that the military operation that was conducted on that day was targeted at terrorists and we hit them,” he said.

However, Hasan cited conflict data indicating that about 11,000 people were killed in Nigeria in 2025, compared with roughly 8,700 in 2023 — an increase of about 26 percent since Tinubu assumed office.

Bwala rejected the suggestion that the figures show deteriorating security, stating that the government remains committed to confronting terrorism, banditry and other forms of violent crime across the country.