President Bola Tinubu has ordered a total security cordon around forests in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger States, following a surge in kidnappings and terrorist activities.
The President directed the security to maintain a 24 hour surveillance and link up with the booths on the ground.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, disclosed this via a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
President Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to intensify aerial surveillance over the deepest stretches of the forests where criminals are believed to be hiding.
The operation, he noted, will run round the clock, with air assets maintaining constant communication and coordination with ground troops.
Dare explained that the directive will be in all axes, where joint operations are expected to facilitate the rescue of kidnapped victims.
Communities in the affected regions have also been urged to provide timely intelligence on suspicious movements to aid security forces in restoring safety, Dare added.
There has been an increased wave of brazen kidnappings and violent raids across Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States, a development that has exposed the alarming reach of criminal networks exploiting remote forests and ungoverned terrain.
In Kebbi, gunmen stormed 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 local farm.
In Kwara, the terror group Mahmuda has intensified attacks around Kainji Lake, targeting villages and churches.
Eruku village saw 38 worshippers taken hostage, while in Kemanji, over 15 vigilantes were reportedly killed. ACLED data shows 177 kidnapping incidents and at least 207 killings in Kwara during the first ten months of 2025.
In Niger State, on 21 November, gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, abducting over 300 students and teachers. Later, 50 students escaped.
The UN condemned the abduction and criticized the reopening of schools amid known security risks, while Human Rights Watch called for urgent measures to protect students and secure the remaining hostages.
Niger State police also reported the earlier rescue of 35 kidnapped individuals from forested areas, including 16 women and 19 children.
These coordinated, high-impact attacks underscore a stark reality: schools, farms, and places of worship have become prime targets for ruthless kidnappers.
The movements of groups like Mahmuda across Kwara, Niger, and Kebbi suggest coordinated or opportunistic exploitation of ungoverned terrain.
