TINUBU ORDERS 24-HOUR AERIAL SIEGE ON FORESTS

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a 24-hour Aerial cordon over the vast forests of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States as the Federal Government intensifies its response to a surge in mass kidnappings and deadly attacks across the region.

The directive, announced on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sunday Dare, places the Nigerian Air Force on continuous surveillance duty over bandit strongholds believed to host members of the Mahmuda gang and other armed groups. Aircraft are to maintain direct coordination with ground troops, vigilantes and intelligence teams to block escape routes, detect criminal camps and support rescue missions.

Mass Abductions Prompt Emergency Measures

The move follows a streak of major abductions:

In Niger State, more than 303 students and 12 teachers of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri in Agwara LGA, were taken on 21 November 2025, though 50 students later escaped.

In Kebbi, gunmen raided a girls’ boarding school in Maga on 17 November, killing a vice principal and kidnapping 25 students, days after 40 women and children were seized from a farming settlement.

Kwara State has been hit by a series of violent attacks, including the abduction of 38 worshippers in Eruku and the killing of 15 vigilantes in Kemanji. Security reports show 177 kidnappings and 207 deaths in the state between January and October 2025.

Troops, Police Shifted Into Joint Operations

President Tinubu recently approved the redeployment of 100,000 police personnel from VIP protection to community-based security roles, boosting joint operations with the military.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, during a visit to Kebbi, assured parents that the government was committed to rescuing all abducted schoolchildren.

The new Aerial cordon builds on October’s deployment of a full military brigade into Kwara forest zones under Operation Fasan Yanma, aimed at flushing out bandits from ungoverned spaces.

Communities Asked to Support Intelligence Gathering

Presidential officials urged communities to volunteer useful intelligence, stressing that successful rescues will depend on accurate local information, not just airpower.

While some security experts warn that continuous aerial patrols could complicate hostage safety without precise ground data, the Government insists the operation will continue until the forests are fully secured.