President orders 24-hour aerial watch over Kwara, Kebbi forests

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday ordered a 24-hour aerial surveillance on forests in Kwara, Kebbi and some parts of Niger State in a renewed offensive against insurgency and banditry in the troubled Northcentral and Northeast zones. 

He ordered a full scale cordon by soldiers who were mandated to displace the terrorists and halt the violence being perpetuated by the abductors.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, disclosed the presidential directive on his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD.

He said the President had mandated the Nigerian Air Force to expand air surveillance “across the innermost parts of the forests” where criminal groups are believed to be hiding.

In compliance with the directive, the Air Force is to maintain an uninterrupted 24-hour aerial watch over the troubled zones and synchronise operations with ground troops already deployed for rescue missions and counter-terrorism actions.

Dare said the same operational intensity is to be replicated along the Kebbi–Niger axis, where multiple rescue efforts are ongoing.

The instruction comes amid a worrying escalation of insecurity in the Northcentral and Northwest regions, including last week’s mass abduction of worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, and attacks in parts of Kebbi and Niger that have unleased tension.

On Sunday, 38 abductees from Eruku in Kwara State were rescued while 51 Niger pupils were reunited with their parents.

Also, kidnapped Kebbi students have regained freedom.

But yesterday, bandits attacked Isapa in Kwara State, carting away 11 people, including a pregnant woman and children.

President Tinubu, who has been receiving continuous updates from the frontline commanders, has directed all military and security formations to adopt an “all-out, no-retreat posture” until the perpetrators are neutralised and every abducted citizen is safely returned.

Dare noted that the affected communities in the troubled states have also been urged to provide timely intelligence on unusual movements, gatherings or suspicious activities to support the intensified military offensive.

Last week, the President ordered the withdrawal of police escorts from ‘Very Important Personalities (VIPs)’ to strengthen community-level policing, and the  reinforcement of joint operations in the North.

Security analysts view the new full-spectrum cordon as an aggressive federal response to the rising wave of rural and peri-urban insecurity, signalling the administration’s determination to restore stability and send a clear warning to armed groups terrorising communities.

Expectant woman,Three days after the 30 abducted people from Eruku were rescued, bandits have kidnapped 11 people in the neighbourhood Isapa community.

Among those kidnapped are a pregnant woman and some children.

According to a community elder, the terrorists  fired sporadically as they advanced, forcing residents to flee for safety.

He said: “11 people were kidnapped, seven of them from the same household. The victims include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers and several young children”, he said.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen moved through sections of the town, leaving bullet holes in walls and doors.

Expended AK-47 shells were later recovered from several points in the community after the attackers retreated with their captives.

The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, who confirmed the incident has visited the community for an on-the-spot assessment.

A statement by the command’s spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi (DSP), said: “At about 6:30pm of the same date, the command received distress information on sporadic gunfire within the community.

Swiftly responding, police operatives mobilized patrol vehicles and tactical teams to the scene.

”Preliminary findings revealed a group of armed men suspected to be herders invaded the village shooting sporadically.

As a result, a woman sustained gunshot wound to her leg; she has since been treated and discharged. Further details from police operatives discovered that 10 persons were later abducted.”

Ejire-Adeyemi added: “The CP met with the Onisapa of Isapaland, Oba Gbenga Adeyeye, and Olokesa of Okesaland, Oba Olu Fagbamila Raphael Olusegun, local and youth leaders; to assure residents of intensified operational efforts to rescue the victims safely and restore confidence in the area.

”A search-and-rescue operation is currently underway, involving police tactical teams and local vigilante groups, who are combing the surrounding bushes with the objective of rescuing the victims and apprehending the culprits.

“Normalcy has been restored in the village, and the situation remains under strict monitoring.”

Source: The Nation