The forests served both as operational bases and as escape routes, allowing the bandits to strike and retreat with relative ease.

A SaharaReporters investigation has exposed how a network of armed bandits, linked to terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and cattle rustling, migrated from the Republic of Niger and Nigeria’s North-West into the forests of Kwara and Niger states, setting up fortified criminal enclaves that now serve as hubs for violent operations across several regions.

Intelligence gathered by security agencies indicates that the group settled primarily in and around Gbubu Forest in Lafiagi Local Government Area of Kwara State.

From these hideouts, they allegedly planned and executed attacks on schools, business owners, expatriates, and wealthy individuals, spreading fear and instability across Katsina, Zamfara, Kwara, and Niger States.

The forests served both as operational bases and as escape routes, allowing the bandits to strike and retreat with relative ease.

Security sources disclosed that intensified military and police operations against bandit camps in recent months placed the group under significant pressure.

As these joint assaults tightened, the bandits reportedly attempted a coordinated escape from Gbubu Forest, hoping to evade arrest by crossing into Niger State.

Their movements, however, were detected through actionable intelligence, enabling security forces to move swiftly.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) stationed in Kwara State intercepted the fleeing suspects and arrested seven individuals before they could complete their escape.

Those arrested included Dahiru Adams, 50, of 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 in the Republic of Niger; Mohammadu Lawai, also known as Jalil, 40, also from Maradi, Republic of Niger; Zubairu Abubakar, 35, likewise from the Republic of Niger; and Shaibu Usman, 35, from Bura Village, Ningi LGA of Bauchi State.

At the time of their arrest, all the suspects were residing within the Gbubu Forest.

According to SaharaReporters investigators, the suspects confessed during interrogation to belonging to various armed bandit syndicates operating across Kwara and Niger states.

They reportedly admitted involvement in kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, extortion, cattle rustling, and violent raids, using forest hideouts as staging grounds.

The suspects also described coordinated movements between multiple forest bases, cross-border routes, and local collaborators who allegedly provided supplies, logistics, and intelligence on potential targets.

The presence of multiple suspects from the Republic of Niger has once again highlighted the challenge of Nigeria’s porous borders and the ease with which armed groups move across them.

Security analysts warn that without sustained, intelligence-driven operations and meaningful inter-agency cooperation, the forest corridors linking Nigeria’s North-West to the North-Central region will continue to provide safe havens for criminal groups.

Authorities say investigations remain ongoing to uncover additional camps, financiers, and collaborators linked to the arrested suspects.

Security sources indicate that further arrests are expected as pressure increases on remaining networks operating in the region.

While the arrests mark a tactical breakthrough, residents and civil society organisations continue to question how such networks were able to embed themselves in forest reserves for long periods without detection, and whether systemic and institutional failures enabled these criminal enterprises to thrive under the shadow of official security structures.