President Bola Tinubu has directed the Nigerian Air Force to commence round-the-clock aerial surveillance over forest belts in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger states, following a surge in kidnappings and terrorist attacks across the region.
The order, conveyed yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, mandates air assets to maintain continuous communication with ground troops to tighten security around areas where bandits are believed to be operating.
Dare added that residents in the affected communities must provide timely intelligence to aid security agencies in ongoing rescue efforts.
Fresh Attack in Kwara: Over 20 Abducted
More than 20 persons, including a pregnant woman, nursing mothers and children, were abducted on Monday evening during a bandit attack on Isapa, a community about five kilometres from Eruku in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The attack occurred around 7 p.m. as armed men stormed the town with a herd of cattle, firing indiscriminately and forcing residents to flee. An elderly woman was reportedly killed by a stray bullet.
A community source said 11 persons were initially confirmed abducted, seven of them from the same family. The kidnapped victims include Talatu Kabiru, 20; Magaji, 6; Kande, 5; Hadiza, 10; Mariam, 6; Saima, 5; and two housewives, Habibat and Fatima Yusuf. Others are a pregnant woman, Sarah Sunday, 22, and nursing mothers Lami Fidelis, 23, and Haja Na Allah.
The Treasurer of Isapa Peoples Union, Abayomi Daramola, said the attack targeted a businessman earlier kidnapped and released after paying N20 million. The gunmen ransacked his residence when they did not find him at home.
READ ALSO: PDP to Tinubu: Seek Help or Resign as School Abductions Rise
Kwara State Police Commissioner Ojo Adekimi confirmed the incident, saying he had visited the community and that a detailed report was being prepared.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has set up a cabinet-level committee to draw up immediate and long-term measures to curb further attacks. The committee, headed by the Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, has four weeks to submit its report.
Kebbi Governor Receives 25 Rescued Schoolgirls
In Kebbi State, Governor Nasir Idris yesterday received 25 students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.
He said the girls were rescued unharmed and that no ransom was paid. According to him, the military and DSS acted on the President’s directive to secure their release.
READ ALSO: Kwara Church Abduction: Bandits Demand N100 Million Ransom Per Worshipper
Idris thanked security agencies, religious leaders and national figures who supported the rescue efforts. He also praised President Tinubu for sustained intervention during the operation.
Tinubu Welcomes Release of Kebbi Schoolgirls
President Tinubu, in a statement issued by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, welcomed the freedom of the 24 schoolgirls abducted in Maga. He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue remaining captives from ongoing mass abductions.
“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for,” he said. “We must put more boots on the ground in vulnerable areas to avert further incidents.”
Fresh Killings in Nasarawa Communities
In Nasarawa State, suspected armed herders attacked the Agboda community on Monday evening, disrupting a church crusade and injuring a young man who was macheted on the head while heading to the event.
The crusade organiser, Dr Daniel Ukpo, said frequent attacks in the Mararaba-Udege axis had created fear and instability across surrounding villages.
He also narrated accounts from the Ochimi community, where a traditional ruler told him that herders had been destroying farmlands and killing residents with no security presence to deter them.
“The people are tired but have nowhere else to go,” Ukpo said.
Parents of Niger Abducted Pupils Cry Out
Parents of pupils abducted from St Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, Niger State, have appealed for swift government action.
More than 300 children were taken in last week’s attack, though about 50 escaped.
One affected parent, Michael Ibrahim, said his four-year-old asthmatic son was among those abducted.
“My son doesn’t even know how to talk,” he said, adding that the incident had left his wife hospitalised.
Another parent, Sunday Isiaka, said he was desperate to see his child returned. “If I had the power, I would bring my child back myself,” he said.
NUT Threatens to Withdraw Teachers Nationwide
The Nigeria Union of Teachers yesterday condemned the escalating attacks on schools and warned that teachers may withdraw from classrooms if their safety cannot be guaranteed.
NUT President Audu Titus Amba described the situation as a “national emergency”, citing past mass abductions at Chibok, Dapchi, Jangebe, Kaduna and Zamfara schools.
“This is not merely a series of attacks on schools; this is an assault on the entire foundation of education in Nigeria,” he declared.
The union demanded the immediate rescue of all kidnapped students and full implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration.
UN Condemns Surge in Mass Kidnappings
The United Nations yesterday urged Nigerian authorities to halt the wave of abductions and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
“We are shocked at the recent surge in mass abductions,” UN rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said in Geneva. He called for the safe return of all captives and impartial investigations into the attacks.
Why Bandit Enclaves Can’t Be Bombed — Presidency
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said security agencies know the identities and hideouts of the bandits but cannot carry out airstrikes because hostages and civilians live within the targeted areas.
He cited a past incident in Borno where an airstrike mistakenly hit civilians, stressing the need to avoid similar tragedies.
Onanuga also said authorities still lack accurate figures of abducted Niger pupils because school records are incomplete and the school principal has reportedly gone missing.
DSS, Military Pressure Led to Release of 38 Kwara Hostages
Onanuga further disclosed that coordinated tracking and controlled communication by the DSS and military forced kidnappers to release 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State.
He said security agencies monitored the gunmen in real time and established contact to secure the victims’ freedom without risking their lives.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
