Jun 3, 2026

Kainji Forest Becoming Haven for Killers, Senator Raises Alarm

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in world

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Fresh concerns have emerged over the escalating wave of insecurity in Kwara North as Senator Sadiq Umar has warned that criminal elements are exploiting the vast and difficult terrain surrounding the Kainji Lake National Park and adjoining forest reserves as operational bases for deadly attacks on communities.

Speaking during plenary at the Senate on Wednesday, the lawmaker representing Kwara North Senatorial District called for urgent federal intervention, describing the security situation in the region as both alarming and unsustainable.

He lamented that armed groups have continued to exploit the expansive forest corridors and ungoverned spaces around the Kainji Lake axis to launch attacks, carry out kidnappings, and terrorize residents across several communities.

According to Umar, the worsening security crisis has left many communities living in fear despite the efforts of security agencies and local vigilante groups.

He stressed that the difficult terrain around the Kainji forest belt has become a strategic refuge for criminal gangs, allowing them to evade security operations and strike vulnerable settlements with increasing boldness.

The senator’s warning comes against the backdrop of a series of violent incidents that have shaken Kwara North in recent months.

Among them was the tragic Woro massacre, which claimed numerous lives and left several women and children abducted.

Reports indicate that some of those kidnapped during the attack are still being held captive, months after the incident.

Umar further expressed concern over attacks on villages in Edu Local Government Area and the recent invasion of Lafiagi, where residents were reportedly killed and abducted.

He cautioned that failure to decisively confront the criminal networks operating within the Kainji Lake forest corridor could further embolden them and deepen the security crisis across the region.

In response, the Senate unanimously adopted the motion and urged the federal government to strengthen security architecture in Kwara North through additional military formations, increased deployment of personnel and equipment, and intensified joint operations aimed at flushing out criminal elements from the Kainji forest axis and other identified hideouts.

Security experts have long warned that Nigeria’s vast forest reserves can serve as safe havens for armed groups when left inadequately monitored.

The Kainji forest region, which stretches across remote areas bordering parts of Kwara and neighboring states, has increasingly featured in discussions about the expansion of criminal and extremist activities in the North-Central region.

For residents of Kwara North, the senator’s motion reflects a growing demand for decisive action to restore peace, rescue abducted victims, and prevent further attacks on communities already grappling with the devastating human and economic consequences of insecurity.