Army Rescues More Kidnap Victims in Kwara, Steps Up Operations in Forests as Insecurity Persists

By Abiola Adigun | Ilorin | October 10, 2025

Troops of the Nigerian Army have intensified security operations across Kwara State, rescuing several kidnapped victims and engaging criminal elements in gun battles as part of ongoing efforts to curb rising banditry in parts of the state.
In separate operations this week, soldiers under 2 Division, Nigerian Army, rescued victims abducted from Efagi village in Edu Local Government Area and Ayekale village in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area. The efforts come amid sustained military action under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, which covers Kwara and adjoining states in the North-Central region.
According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Polycarp Okoye, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations for 2 Division, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General C.R. Nnebeife, personally led troops on an operational visit to Patrol Base Babanla in Omu-Aran on Wednesday, where he advanced into Baba Sango Forest and supervised the rescue of two kidnapped victims.
During the visit to Oba Pius Oluwole Oni, the traditional ruler of Idofin Ayekale, General Nnebeife commiserated with the community over the recent attack that left three traders dead at Olegbede village, about 12 kilometres from Ayekale.
“The Army will sustain operations to flush out bandits and other criminal elements from the entire forest axis,” Major General Nnebeife assured the monarch.
Oba Oni, while receiving the rescued victims, lamented the growing threat of bandit attacks, attributing the incidents to the community’s proximity to the Baba Sango Forest, which has become a known hideout for criminal gangs.
In another operation on Friday, October 10, troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, deployed under Sector 3 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, rescued two other kidnapped persons taken from Efagi village near Lafiagi in Edu LGA.

According to Captain Stephen Nwankwo, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, the troops, acting on a distress signal, mobilised swiftly in collaboration with local vigilantes. They engaged the kidnappers in a gunfight, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee into nearby bushes.
However, one soldier and a vigilante sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter and were immediately evacuated for medical treatment.
The Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, commended the troops for their gallantry and professionalism, reaffirming the Brigade’s commitment to maintaining pressure on criminal networks operating within the region.
“Our troops will sustain aggressive patrols and continue to deny bandits safe havens. We urge communities to provide timely and credible intelligence to help us respond faster,” General Barkins said.
Kwara State, once known for its relative peace, has recently witnessed a disturbing uptick in banditry, kidnappings, and armed attacks, particularly in Kwara South and Edu axis bordering Kogi and Niger States. The forest corridors stretching through Ifelodun, Oke-Ero, Ekiti, Edu, and Patigi LGAs have become flashpoints due to their vast and difficult terrain.
In response, the Nigerian Army recently deployed a full brigade with heavy equipment to Kwara as part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to strengthen internal security operations across affected North-Central states.
The Kwara State Government, led by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has been working closely with security agencies to reinforce surveillance and support local vigilante groups. The governor, earlier this week, commended the military’s proactive operations and assured residents of sustained government backing for all security formations in the state.
“Our government will continue to provide logistics, intelligence support, and welfare assistance to ensure that these operations succeed,” Governor AbdulRazaq stated during a recent security briefing in Ilorin.
The recent operations, security officials say, mark a renewed phase of joint efforts aimed at restoring peace in rural communities and reopening farmlands that have been abandoned due to repeated attacks.
With troops now maintaining aggressive patrols in Omu-Aran, Edu, and Ifelodun areas, residents are hopeful that the intensified campaign will finally drive bandits out of the state’s forest corridors.