President Bola Tinubu has directed a comprehensive security operation across forests in Kwara State following a series of kidnappings and terror-related incidents in the area.

The directive was announced on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, in a statement released on X. According to him, the President has instructed the Nigerian Air Force to intensify aerial surveillance over deep forest areas where criminal groups are believed to be operating.

Dare explained that the Air Force has been ordered to maintain round-the-clock surveillance and work closely with ground troops to track down the perpetrators. He added that the same directive applies to parts of Kebbi and Niger States, where several kidnap victims are expected to be rescued. Communities in affected areas have also been urged to provide timely information to support ongoing security efforts.

The President’s action follows a series of troubling attacks, including the recent abduction and rescue of 38 worshippers in Eruku, as well as the kidnapping of at least 10 residents on Monday evening in Isapa, located in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Residents reported that the latest attack took place around 6 p.m. when between 20 and 30 armed men invaded the community with a herd of cattle, shooting sporadically as people fled. The attackers moved through several parts of the town, firing into homes and abducting a number of residents, including a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers and several children.

The Isapa incident marks the third major attack in Ekiti LGA within a month. Earlier, 18 residents kidnapped in Eruku were later rescued, while 38 churchgoers abducted during a thanksgiving service last week were also eventually freed.