Tinubu Orders 24-hour Aerial Siege On Kwara, Kebbi Forests

President Bola Tinubu has ordered an aggressive, round-the-clock aerial siege on forests in Kwara, Kebbi and parts of Niger State as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to contain the recent surge in kidnappings and terror attacks across the North-Central and North-West.

The directive followed fresh security assessments indicating that several kidnapping and terror cells were operating from deep forested enclaves straddling the affected states.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Chief Sunday Dare, disclosed the development on Tuesday in a post on his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD.

Dare stated that the President had instructed the Nigerian Air Force to widen surveillance “across the innermost parts of the forests” where armed groups are believed to be hiding.

Under the new directive, the Air Force is to maintain an uninterrupted 24-hour aerial watch over the troubled zones and coordinate with ground troops that were already deployed for rescue missions and counter-terrorism operations.

The same level of operational pressure, Dare said, is to be replicated along the Kebbi–Niger axis, where multiple rescue efforts were currently underway.

The order came on the heels of series of recent incidents, including last week’s mass abduction of worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, and coordinated attacks in parts of Kebbi and Niger that have triggered widespread concern and calls for stronger federal intervention.

Although several abducted persons have been rescued in recent days, security agencies are still working to locate and free victims believed to be held within remote forest clusters.

Dare noted that President Tinubu, who has been receiving continuous field updates from security commanders, directed all military and security formations to adopt an “all-out, no-retreat posture” until the criminal groups are dismantled and every abducted citizen is safely returned.

He added that communities in the affected states have been urged to provide timely intelligence on suspicious movements, gatherings or unusual activities to aid the intensified military operations.

The latest move adds to recent federal security actions, including the President’s weekend directive withdrawing police escorts from VIPs to reinforce community-level policing, as well as earlier efforts to strengthen joint military operations across the North.