President Bola Tinubu has directed a total security cordon around forests in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States following a surge in kidnappings and terrorist attacks.
The President instructed security agencies to maintain round-the-clock surveillance and ensure seamless coordination with ground units.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, disclosed the directive via a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
President Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to intensify aerial surveillance over the deepest forested areas believed to be hiding criminal elements.
The operation, he said, will run continuously, with air assets maintaining constant communication and coordination with troops on the ground.
Dare explained that the directive will cover all axes, where joint operations are expected to aid the rescue of kidnapped victims.
Communities in the affected regions have been urged to provide timely intelligence on suspicious movements to help security forces restore safety, Dare added.
The move comes amid rising incidents of brazen kidnappings and violent raids across the three states, highlighting the reach of criminal networks exploiting remote forests and ungoverned terrain.
In Kebbi, gunmen attacked a girls’ boarding school in Maga on November 17, 2025, abducting 25 students and killing the vice principal. Days earlier, more than 40 women and children were kidnapped from a local farm.