- Tinubu orders a total security cordon on Kwara forests after a wave of kidnappings.
- Nigerian Air Force deployed for 24-hour surveillance across suspected hideouts.
- Order also extends to parts of Niger and Kebbi states where victims are still held.
- Communities urged to report strange movements to support rescue operations.
President Bola Tinubu has stepped up the battle against rising insecurity in the North-Central region by ordering an extensive security operation across the forests of Kwara State. The move follows a troubling surge in kidnappings and terrorist activities that have unsettled several local communities.
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, the directive includes a heavy security cordon and expanded air surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force. The air operations, he said, will run round the clock and target the innermost parts of the forests where the attackers are believed to be hiding.
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The operation is not limited to Kwara alone. Tinubu extended the instruction to parts of Niger and Kebbi states, where hundreds of schoolchildren and worshippers were recently abducted. Security agencies have been ordered to maintain pressure on the criminals until the captives are rescued.
Communities have also been encouraged to remain vigilant and report any strange movement or suspicious activity. Authorities say such information can help security operatives track down the attackers faster.
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The recent wave of kidnappings has gripped the nation with shock. More than 300 schoolchildren and staff were seized from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, marking another painful reminder of Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges. While some of the victims managed to escape, well over 260 remain in captivity.
A similar attack occurred in Kebbi State, where 25 students from the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, were abducted. In Kwara State, 38 worshippers were taken during a church service in Eruku. These incidents echo Nigeria’s long struggle with mass abductions, dating back to the Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping in 2014, many of whom are still missing.
Nigeria continues to face a complex mix of threats, from jihadist groups to heavily armed bandit gangs who raid villages, abduct residents, and demand ransom. Tinubu’s latest directive aims to break the cycle by tightening security across high-risk zones and
