President Bola Tinubu has ordered a 24-hour security cordon around forests in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger states, to link up with the boots on the ground, following a surge in kidnappings and terrorist activities.
His directive came as over 20 persons, including a pregnant woman, nursing mothers and children, were abducted Monday evening in a fresh attack on Isapa, a community just five kilometres from Eruku, in Kwara State.
This is even as a cleric and a traditional ruler yesterday raised alarm over the killing and maiming of people in some communities in Nasarawa State, as parents of abducted students in Kebbi and Niger states have pleaded with the Federal Government to rescue their children.
The Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, also yesterday, threatened to withdraw teachers from classrooms if their lives were no longer safe, and demanded action from the government to release teachers in captivity.
The United Nations urged the government to stop kidnapping, and prosecute perpetrators to put a halt to the malaise, as the Presidency explained reason bandits’ enclaves could not bombed by security agencies.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, who disclosed this via a post on his X handle yesterday, said the President ordered the Nigerian Air Force to intensify aerial surveillance over the deepest stretches of the forests where criminals were believed to be hiding.
The operation, he noted, would run round the clock, with air assets maintaining constant communication and coordination with ground troops.
Dare explained that the directive would be in all axis where joint operations are expected to facilitate the rescue of kidnapped victims.
‘’Communities in the affected regions have also been urged to provide timely intelligence on suspicious movements to aid security forces in restoring safety,’’ Dare added.
Recall that there is an increased wave of brazen kidnappings and violent raids across Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states, a development that has exposed the alarming reach of criminal networks exploiting remote forests and ungoverned terrain.
Over 20 abducted in fresh Kwara bandits’ attack
Similarly, no fewer than 20 persons were abducted on Monday evening in fresh bandits’ attack on Isapa, another Kwara community, about five kilometres from Eruku where three persons were killed in a CAC church a week earlier, and 38 persons who were abducted in that attack, regained freedom last weekend.
Abductions: Tinubu orders security to comb northern forests
Vanguard reliably gathered that the attack occurred around 7 p.m. on Monday, when the bandits stormed the community with a large herd of cattle, firing shots indiscriminately to scare residents.
The gunmen, it was gathered, reportedly fired sporadically as they advanced, forcing residents to flee for safety.
Sources in the town told journalists in Ilorin yesterday that an elderly woman was said to have been reportedly killed by a stray bullet during the assault.
A community leader, who confirmed the incident under anonymity, said 11 people were initially abducted, with seven of the victims belonging to the same family.
According to him, the kidnapped victims include a pregnant woman; two nursing mothers; and several children.
The victims were identified as Talatu Kabiru (Female, 20); Magaji (Male, 6); Kande (Female, 5); Hadiza (Female, 10); Mariam (Female, 6); Saima (Female, 5); A house wife, Habibat; A housewife, Fatima Yusufu; A pregnant woma, Sarah Sunday (Female, 22); Lami Fidelis (Female, 23, nursing mother); Haja Na Allah (Nursing mother)
It was learned that the attackers moved through parts of the town, leaving bullet holes in walls and doors, as expended AK-47 shells were found scattered across the community after the gunmen fled.
The Treasurer of Isapa Peoples Union, IPU, Abayomi Daramola, who also confirmed the attack, said the bandits went after their target, a business man who was abducted last year and released after payment of N20 million.
Daramola said he was traced to his residence but wasn’t at home. His absence was said to have angered the bandits who abducted everyone they met in the house, including the aged and children.
Police confirm abduction
Contacted, the Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi, who equally confirmed the fresh attack, said he just returned to Ilorin from the community, adding that the PPRO was preparing a comprehensive report about the incident.
‘Yes, there’s a fresh bandits attack in Isapa, I just returned from the place. The PPRO is preparing a comprehensive report,’’ he said.
Consequently, the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday announced a cabinet-level security committee to midwife alternative short-to-long term solutions to curtail further security breaches.
The committee, headed by the Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, with Mrs. Olufunke Shittu of the Office of the Head of Service, as the secretary, has the Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brigadier General Saliu Bello; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Abdullahi Bata, as members.
Other members include the Senior Special Assistant on Security, Alhaji Muhyideen Aliu; Special Assistant on Security, Alhaji Moshood Gobir; and one local government chairman from each of the three senatorial districts.
A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, stated that the committee would midwife exclusive engagements with different stakeholders, including traditional rulers, to design a Kwara-specific security strategy to strengthen public safety.
“The committee will submit its report to the governor within four weeks for further considerations and actions. Its recommendations are to further enrich existing understanding of the nationwide security situations from local perspectives,” the statement added
Gov Idris receives 25 abducted Kebbi schoolgirls
Kebbi State governor, Dr Nasir Idris, has formally received the 25 school girls abducted by armed bandits Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State.
Idris, who confirmed that the girls were in good health, said contrary to report, no ransom was paid .
According to him, the security agencies acted on the order of President Tinubu to rescue the girls unhurt.
“No Kobo was paid. The military, DSS and other security forces combed the forest and rescued them unhurt,” he said.
The excited governor thanked the military, DSS, NSCDC and the police for their efforts in the rescue operations which was successful.
He commended President Tinubu for not relenting in his efforts to ensure the safe return of the girls and securing the country.
The governor also thanked clerics who prayed ceaselessly for the success of the operations, and top Nigerians as speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abas, progressive governors and the Inspector General of Police who visited the state during the trying period.
Tinubu welcomes freed Kebbi schoolgirls
President Tinubu has welcomed the release of the 24 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Maga Kebbi last Monday.
President Tinubu applauded the security agents for all the efforts made to secure freedom for all the victims taken away by the terrorists.
He tasked the security agents to make more efforts to rescue the remaining students still being held captive.
A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, quoted Tinubu as saying: “ I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must put as a matter of urgency more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this.”
Armed herders killing, maiming in Nasarawa communities, say cleric, monarch
In Nasarawa State, suspected armed herdsmen on Monday evening attacked Agboda community and macheted on the head a young man on his way to a church crusade and disrupted the gathering.
The organiser of the crusade, Dr. Daniel Ukpo, lamented the level herdsmen carried out attacks without restraint in Mararaba Udege axis of the state.
“The incident happened from 7-8:00pm at Agboda in Mararaba Udege in Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state when we gathered for a church crusade and suddenly, people started running and scampering for safety when the news of attack on Tye community by herdsmen filtered in.
“One of the youths in the community was attacked with matchete while on his motorcycle. When the news got to the village where we were holding the crusade, confusion set in and people started scampering in different directions.
“We had to end the crusade abruptly but already everywhere was tensed up and people started running helplessly for safety.
Dr. Ukpo added that what escalated the uproar was the frequency with which herdsmen attack and kill the villagers.
“I went to a community called Ochimi to preach and the traditional ruler confessed to me that I should pray for them because herdsmen are eating their crops and killing his people,’’ the cleric said.
He noted that security presence was grossly lacking to help intervene, and recalled that some days ago, somebody was butchered by armed herder.
“People are being killed on the road, farms and are not reported. The killing in this axis is worrisome. The government must come to the rescue of these communities.
“There were times we organised crusades and Fulani herders stopped us from proceeding not once, not twice.
“The sad thing is that nobody is here to challenge these armed herdsmen who are rampaging farms and communities around this axis. The people here are tired but because they do not have anywhere else to relocate, they are just here at the mercy’s of armed herdsmen,’’ he said.
Parents of abducted Niger State students plea for rescue
Also, parents of dozens of children kidnapped last week from a Catholic school in Niger State are desperate to have their children released, with one father crying out that his son was so young that he had not yet learned to speak.
Armed gangs seized more than 300 children from a Catholic school in a resurgence of the mass kidnappings that have long harrowed the country.
The same week, 25 schoolgirls were taken from another school in Kebbi State.
At least 50 taken from the Catholic school, St Mary’s, managed to escape, while more than 265 children and teachers are still being held.
“My son is a small boy. He doesn’t even know how to talk,” Michael Ibrahim said as parents of those still in captivity anxiously awaited their children’s safe release.
Ibrahim, who noted that his 4-year-old son suffers from asthma, said: “We don’t know the condition in which the boy is.
He added that some the abduction had so sickened his wife that she had to be taken to hospital.
For Ibrahim, the government is his only hope to see his son back.
“We don’t know any other way to bring these children if not through the government. I appeal to the government to do all within its powers to see these children are back,” he said in his local Hausa language
Another parent, Sunday Isiaka, said: “I need my child back. If I had the power to bring my child back, I would do it.’’
NUT threatens withdrawal of teachers from classrooms
Reacting to the abductions yesterday, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, did not only condemn in strong terms the recent attacks on schools in Kebbi and Niger states, but also threatened to withdraw teachers from classrooms.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the National Executive Council, NEC, of the union, NUT President, Mr. Audu Titus Amba, who described the rising wave of abductions and killings as a national emergency threatening the country’s education system, said the association was outraged by the brutal killing of a vice principal and a security guard.
He also frowned on the abduction of 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, and over 300 pupils and 12 staff members of St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, Niger State.
“These barbaric attacks are unacceptable. We call on the federal government to bring these attacks to an end to prevent the total collapse of the education system, “he declared.
The union lamented that it had witnessed a horrifying history of mass kidnapping of students and teachers over the last decade, citing:Chibok abduction of 276 girls (Borno, April 14, 2014);Dapchi abduction of 110 schoolgirls (Yobe, February 19, 2018), including Leah Sharibu; kidnapping of 39 students (Kaduna Forestry College, March 11, 2021) and abduction of about 200 students from GSS Jangebe (Zamfara, February 26, 2021).
Others, the union noted, are the kidnapping of 128 students and 44 staff of Zamfara College of Agriculture (August 16, 2021); Abduction of 121 students from Bethel Baptist High School (Kaduna, July 5, 2021); and the kidnapping of 287 pupils in Kuriga, Kaduna (March 7, 2024).
“This is not merely a series of attacks on schools; this is an assault on the entire foundation of education and sustainable development in Nigeria, “Amba said.
The NUT expressed deep concern that the surge in attacks has forced the closure of schools in affected states, effectively jeopardising the future of millions of children.
The union criticized government’s failure to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration, which outlined measures intended to protect educational institutions from violence.
“We demand intensified efforts to rescue abducted students and staff, and the immediate strengthening of security around schools, particularly in high-risk areas,” the NUT stated.
Warning of possible industrial action, the NUT President declared: “If these deadly attacks continue, the union will have no option but to direct all teachers to stay away from classrooms until their safety is guaranteed.”
Halt kidnappings, prosecute perpetrators, UN tells FG
In its reaction yesterday, the United Nations condemned the surge in mass kidnappings in north-central Nigeria, calling on the authorities to take urgent steps to halt the attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.
“We are shocked at the recent surge in mass abductions in north-central Nigeria. We urge the Nigerian authorities – at all levels – to take all lawful measures to ensure such vile attacks are halted and to hold those responsible to account,’’ UN rights office spokesman, Thameen Al-Kheetan, said in Geneva.
He called on “Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe return of all those still in captivity to their families, and to prevent further abductions.
“They must also hold prompt, impartial and effective investigations into abductions and bring those responsible to justice.”
Why security agencies can’t bomb bandit enclaves — Presidency
Speaking on the security situation in the country, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that security agencies were fully aware of the identities and locations of the bandit groups responsible for recent mass abductions, including the attack on St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Niger State.
Onanuga, who spoke in an interview on ARISE News‘s programme, Prime Time, said though security operatives had the necessary intelligence, their operations were often constrained by the risk of collateral damage to civilians being held by the bandits.
“The security people, they know all the bandits that are operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate,” he said.
He said the government could not simply launch airstrikes on the identified enclaves, noting “our people are living around where they operate, so you can’t just go there.
‘’They need to be very careful that in the course of chasing these bandits, they don’t go and bomb innocent Nigerians.’’
While recalling recalled a past incident in Borno State where the military mistakenly struck civilians, Onanuga said: “Some years ago in Borno State, when the military thought they had the right satellite connection, they bombed the wrong people. They must avoid that kind of mistake.’’
He added that uncertainty persists about the exact number of abducted students because neither the school nor the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had provided complete records.
“As of now, the authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing. You said students are missing — let us have their names. Let us know what we are looking for,” he said.
Onanuga also claimed that the school principal had “disappeared”, complicating the verification process. “For the security, they found it very strange that they are not cooperating. What is the agenda?” he queried..
Pressure from DSS, military secured freedom for 38 Kwara hostages
Onanuga also said security agencies deployed precision intelligence and coordinated engagement to secure the release of 38 abducted worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State.
He said operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, and the military played decisive roles in the rescue operation, using real-time tracking and controlled communication to pressure the bandits into releasing their captives unharmed.
He explained that security agencies swiftly activated sophisticated tracking systems that enabled continuous monitoring of the kidnappers and their movements, providing the leverage needed to establish contact and negotiate from a position of strength.
Onanuga said: “DSS and military operatives were deeply involved in the rescue of the 38 worshippers in Eruku.
“They made contact with the bandits to secure the release of the captives. Our security agencies have systems for tracking these criminals, which allow them to monitor developments in real time.
“They reached out to the kidnappers and demanded the release of the victims, and the bandits complied, fully aware of the consequences of defying government directives.”
He described the non-kinetic approach as deliberate, noting that storming the kidnappers’ hideout would have endangered the victims, who were often used as human shields.
He said: “The priority was to ensure that all abductees were safely reunited with their families without triggering avoidable casualties.”
Vanguard
