President Tinubu has instructed security agencies to sweep and cordon off forests in Kwara State, where armed groups are believed to be hiding. According to his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, the President ordered the Nigerian Air Force to expand aerial surveillance across the deepest stretches of the forests and maintain a round-the-clock aerial watch.
The operation is designed to flush out bandits and kidnappers, disrupt their hideouts, and facilitate the rescue of abducted victims.
Wider Coverage
The directive is not limited to Kwara. Tinubu has also ordered similar measures in Kebbi and Niger States, which have witnessed mass abductions in recent weeks.
In Niger State, more than 200 schoolchildren remain in captivity.
In Kebbi State, at least 24 students are still missing after a school raid.
In Kwara State, bandits recently abducted 11 residents in Isapa community, while 38 worshippers were rescued after being kidnapped during a church vigil in Eruku New Telegraph.
Security Strategy
Air raids and surveillance: Continuous aerial patrols over forest belts.
Ground coordination: Air assets will maintain constant communication with ground troops.
Community intelligence: Residents in affected regions are urged to provide timely information on suspicious movements.
Dare emphasized that the President’s order reflects a zero-tolerance stance on insecurity, aiming to restore safety and confidence in communities battered by repeated attacks.
Implications
Analysts say the move signals a more aggressive military approach to Nigeria’s worsening abduction crisis. However, they caution that without sustained intelligence gathering and community cooperation, cordon operations may only provide temporary relief.
Civil society groups have welcomed the directive but urged the government to complement military action with long-term reforms in policing, rural development, and education security policies.
