Investigation Reveals How Bandits Moved from Niger Republic into Kwara, Niger Forests and How Police Foiled Their Escape
An investigation has uncovered how armed bandits linked to terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and cattle rustling migrated from the Republic of Niger and Nigeria’s North-West into forest reserves in Kwara and Niger states, where they established fortified criminal hideouts.
Security intelligence indicates that the group mainly settled in and around Gbubu Forest in Lafiagi Local Government Area of Kwara State, using the dense forest as both an operational base and an escape corridor.
From these hideouts, the bandits allegedly planned and carried out attacks on schools, expatriates, business owners, and wealthy individuals across Katsina, Zamfara, Kwara, and Niger states, spreading fear and instability across the region.
The forests provided strategic cover, enabling the group to strike targets and retreat swiftly beyond the reach of conventional patrols.
However, intensified military and police operations against bandit camps in recent months reportedly placed the group under severe pressure.
As security forces tightened their operations, the bandits allegedly attempted a coordinated escape from Gbubu Forest, hoping to evade capture by crossing into Niger State.
Their movements were detected through actionable intelligence, prompting swift intervention by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) stationed in Kwara State.
Seven suspects were intercepted and arrested before they could complete their escape. The suspects are Dahiru Adams (50) from Sambe Village, Kankara LGA, Katsina State; Adamu Mohammad, also known as Baushe or Dogo (58), from Gurbi Village, Jibia LGA, Katsina State; Abdullahi Abubakar, also known as Bature (35), from Jibia LGA, Katsina State; Abubakar Abdullahi, also known as Turke (35), a native of Maradi, Republic of Niger; Mohammadu Lawai, also known as Jalil (40), also from Maradi; Zubairu Abubakar (35), from the Republic of Niger; and Shaibu Usman (35), from Bura Village, Ningi LGA of Bauchi State.
All the suspects were reportedly residing within Gbubu Forest at the time of their arrest.
Investigators said the suspects confessed to being members of various armed bandit syndicates operating across Kwara and Niger states. They allegedly admitted involvement in kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, extortion, cattle rustling, and violent raids, using forest hideouts as staging grounds.
The suspects also reportedly described coordinated movements between multiple forest bases, cross-border routes, and local collaborators who provided supplies, logistics, and intelligence on potential targets.
The involvement of several suspects from the Republic of Niger has once again highlighted concerns over Nigeria’s porous borders and the ease with which armed groups move across them.
Security analysts warn that without sustained, intelligence-driven operations and effective inter-agency cooperation, forest corridors linking Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions will continue to serve as safe havens for criminal networks.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to uncover additional camps, financiers, and collaborators connected to the arrested suspects, with further arrests expected.
While the arrests represent a tactical breakthrough, residents and civil society groups continue to question how such networks were able to operate within forest reserves for extended periods without detection, raising concerns about systemic and institutional failures within existing security structures.
