President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a 24-hour security cordon over major forest zones in Kwara State, following a sharp rise in kidnappings and terrorist activity.
Gatekeepers News reports that special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, disclosed the directive in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to Dare, the President instructed the Nigerian Air Force to commence continuous aerial surveillance across the deepest sections of the forests where criminal groups are believed to be operating. The operation is expected to run round the clock, with air assets maintaining close coordination with ground troops.
Dare added that the same directive has been issued for forest corridors in Kebbi and Niger States to support joint operations aimed at rescuing kidnapped victims. He urged communities in the affected areas to provide timely intelligence on suspicious movements to strengthen the security response.
Wave of Kidnappings Across the North-Central
The President’s action comes amid a surge of coordinated kidnappings and deadly raids across Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States, exposing the growing reach of criminal networks exploiting dense forests and ungoverned terrain.
In Kebbi, gunmen attacked a girls’ boarding school in Maga on 17 November 2025, abducting 25 students and killing the vice principal. Days earlier, over 40 women and children were kidnapped from a nearby farm.
Kwara State has seen escalating violence linked to the terror group known as Mahmuda. Attacks around the Kainji Lake axis have intensified, targeting villages, churches, and local vigilante units.
Eruku village witnessed the abduction of 38 worshippers, while in Kemanji, over 15 vigilantes were reportedly killed.
Data from ACLED shows 177 kidnapping incidents and at least 207 killings in Kwara alone within the first ten months of 2025.
In Niger State, gunmen on 21 November attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, abducting more than 300 students and teachers. Fifty of the abducted students later escaped.
The United Nations condemned the abduction and criticised the reopening of schools despite known security risks. Human Rights Watch also urged urgent action to protect students and secure the remaining captives.
Niger State police separately reported the rescue of 35 kidnapped victims—16 women and 19 children—from forested areas.
A Region Under Siege
The pattern of attacks suggests that criminal cells, including the Mahmuda faction, are exploiting shared forest routes and ungoverned spaces across Kwara, Niger, and Kebbi States. Schools, farms, and places of worship have increasingly become high-risk targets.
According to findings by The Guardian, President Tinubu’s order for 24-hour aerial surveillance and reinforced ground coordination is seen as a critical step toward dismantling these networks, securing hostages, and restoring public confidence in communities under siege.
