President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive security cordon across major forest belts in Kwara State following a wave of kidnappings and terrorist attacks that have unsettled communities in the North-Central region.
The directive was disclosed on Tuesday by the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the President, Sunday Dare, in a post on X.
Dare said the President has mandated the Nigerian Air Force to widen its surveillance operations deep into forested areas where criminal elements are believed to be taking refuge.
“President Tinubu has ordered total security cordon over the forests in Kwara State following recent kidnappings and terrorist activities,” Dare wrote.
“The President directed the Air Force to expand its air surveillance across the innermost parts of the forests in Kwara State where it is believed the terrorists are hiding. They are to maintain a 24-hour surveillance and link up with the boots on the ground.”
According to the statement, the directive also extends to corridors linking Kebbi and Niger States, where multiple abductions have occurred in recent months and where rescue operations are ongoing.
“Communities are also urged to provide timely information about strange movements and activities to aid the work of the security forces,” Dare added.
Tinubu’s order comes less than 24 hours after bandits abducted 11 residents in Itapa, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, in a nighttime attack that left the community shaken. The victims include young children, nursing mothers, and a pregnant woman.
That incident occurred shortly after the release of 38 churchgoers kidnapped in Eruku, also in Kwara, in an attack that drew nationwide condemnation and prompted traditional rulers, such as the Owa of Eruku, Oba Olanrewaju Busari, to call for a permanent security base in the forest-prone region.
The North-Central zone has seen a resurgence of rural banditry and cross-border incursions by criminal groups who exploit the thick forest networks connecting Kwara, Niger, and Kogi states. Security analysts say the region’s difficult terrain has allowed kidnappers and terrorist cells to evade ground forces and relocate quickly, increasing the need for persistent aerial monitoring.
The President’s order marks a significant escalation in federal counter-terror measures, combining air surveillance, ground troop coordination, and community intelligence gathering. Military sources say a round-the-clock aerial presence is expected to shrink the movement space of attackers, disrupt their hideouts, and support rapid-response rescue efforts.
The Air Force and other security agencies are expected to begin the expanded operations immediately.
