Kidnappings: Tinubu orders 24-hour aerial cordon on Kwara, Kebbi, Niger forests

By : Terhemba Daka

Date: 25 November 2025 5:02pm WAT

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President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a total security cordon around forests in Kwara State, following a surge in kidnappings and terrorist activity, according to Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.

Dare said the President has directed 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.

The Presidential aide explained that the same directive applies to the Kebbi and Niger State 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.

A wave of brazen kidnappings and violent raids across Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States 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 criticised 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.

President Tinubu’s directive for 24-hour aerial surveillance and ground coordination, The Guardian learnt, is both urgent and essential to dismantle these networks, rescue hostages, and restore confidence to vulnerable communities.

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