Kwara State has increasingly become a major flashpoint in Nigeria’s pervasive bandit conflict. Over the past few years, the state, once known for its relative calm has been experiencing a significant surge in violent attacks, killings, and mass abductions.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division/Sector 3, operating under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have successfully rescued three kidnapped victims following sustained aggressive operations against bandits in Kwara State. The victims were recovered at different locations within the Babanla Forest on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
Acting on credible intelligence, troops deployed at the Patrol Base Babanla mobilised to a suspected bandit hideout and safely rescued Mrs. Oluwabusayo Taiwo, 25, and her three-year-old son, Taiwo Irayomide. The mother and son were among the victims abducted from Oke-Ode on September 28, 2025.
In a separate action while on a routine patrol along a suspected bandit route, the troops also rescued Mr. Mohammadu Sani Mai Shayi, a 40-year-old local tea seller from Garkarima, who was found in a pool of blood after his captors fled upon sighting the patrol team. Troops recovered one dane gun and a cutlass from the scene of the rescue.
The rescued victims are currently receiving medical attention at the Patrol Base sick bay and are expected to be reunited with their families soon. Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, the Commander of 22 Armoured Brigade, commended the troops’ swift response and reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to intensifying operations to ensure the safety and security of all citizens in Kwara State and its environs.
The bandit gangs, have targeted rural agrarian communities, highways, and even mining sites. Recent incidents, including a brutal massacre in Oke-Ode in September 2025 that led to the displacement of hundreds of residents, have brought the crisis to a head. The criminals operate largely from the vast, thick forest reserves that cut across local government areas like Ifelodun, Patigi, Edu, and Kaiama, making it difficult for security forces to track them.
