By Atoyebi Nike
President Bola Tinubu has directed security forces to impose a comprehensive security cordon on forests in Kwara State, following a new surge in kidnappings and attacks.
The order was announced on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, who disclosed on X that the Nigerian Air Force had been instructed to extend aerial patrols deep into forest areas believed to be used as hideouts by armed groups.
According to Dare, the Air Force is now expected to maintain round-the-clock surveillance and coordinate operations with ground troops.
He added that the same directive covers parts of Kebbi and Niger States, where several abductions have also been recorded, urging residents to promptly report suspicious activity.
The move comes after the abduction and rescue of 38 churchgoers in Eruku and Monday’s attack in Isapa, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, where at least 10 residents were kidnapped.
It was reported that between 20 and 30 armed bandits invaded Isapa around 6 p.m., driving a large herd of cattle as they fired shots and forced residents to flee. The attackers reportedly moved from house to house, seizing victims, including a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several children.
The Isapa incident marks the third major attack in Ekiti LGA in less than a month. Three weeks earlier, 18 residents abducted in Eruku were later freed, while 38 worshippers kidnapped during a church thanksgiving service last week were also released.
