President Bola Tinubu has directed security forces to enforce a full aerial cordon over major forest zones in Kwara State following rising cases of kidnappings and terrorist activities. The directive was announced on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, via X.
According to Dare, the President ordered the Nigerian Air Force to scale up continuous aerial patrols over densely forested areas believed to serve as hideouts for criminal groups. The operation is to run 24 hours a day, with air units maintaining close coordination with troops on the ground.
Tinubu’s directive also extends to forest corridors in Kebbi and Niger States, where joint operations are expected to support the rescue of abducted victims. Residents in the affected communities have been urged to share timely intelligence on suspicious movements to assist security forces.
Recent weeks have seen a series of bold kidnappings and violent attacks across the three states, exposing how criminal organisations exploit remote terrain to carry out raids.
In Kebbi State, armed men attacked a girls’ boarding school in Maga on November 17, 2025, abducting 25 students and killing the vice principal. Earlier, over 40 women and children were seized from a farm.
Kwara has faced escalating assaults by the Mahmuda terror group around the Kainji Lake axis. In Eruku, 38 church members were kidnapped, and over 15 vigilantes were reportedly killed in Kemanji. ACLED data shows 177 kidnapping incidents and more than 200 deaths in the state between January and October 2025.
In Niger State, gunmen invaded St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, on November 21, abducting more than 300 students and staff. About 50 students later managed to escape. The UN condemned the attack and criticised the reopening of schools despite known threats, while Human Rights Watch urged immediate action to secure the remaining hostages. Police in the state also confirmed earlier rescuing 35 abducted victims—16 women and 19 children—from nearby forests.
These escalating attacks highlight how schools, farms, and places of worship have become major targets for kidnappers. The movement of groups such as Mahmuda across Kwara, Niger, and Kebbi raises concerns about coordinated criminal activity using difficult-to-govern forest terrain.
Tinubu’s order for constant aerial surveillance and enhanced collaboration between air and ground forces, The Guardian gathered, is aimed at breaking these networks, rescuing captives, and restoring security to affected communities.
