Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A coordinated security operation involving operatives of the Department of State Services and forest guards has resulted in the rescue of two abducted siblings and the neutralisation of two suspected kidnappers in a forest straddling Isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State. The operation, carried out on Thursday, July 16, 2026, targeted a bandit hideout in the Oba Isin and Owa Onire areas, where the victims – 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and her five-year-old brother, Ibrahim – had been held captive. Security sources confirmed that the joint team engaged the suspects in a fierce gun battle, killing two of them, while several others escaped with severe injuries. Follow-up operations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects, according to multiple reports from ThisDay, Daily Post, and Independent Nigeria.
The rescue mission forms part of the government's ongoing multi-agency counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping campaign aimed at tackling the growing insecurity across the region. Intelligence sources disclosed that the operation was triggered by actionable intelligence that led operatives to the forest hideout between Oba Isin and Owa Onire. Upon arrival, the security team stormed the camp, engaging the kidnappers in a firefight that resulted in the deaths of two suspects. The children were found unharmed and immediately taken to safety. The identities of the rescued victims were confirmed by local authorities and reported by multiple news outlets, including Daily Post and Tribune Online.
Items recovered from the scene included one AK-47 rifle, one single-barrel gun, one fully loaded magazine, nine empty magazines, a mini-solar charger, and various food items believed to have been used by the kidnappers. Security operatives have since intensified clearance operations in the area to track down the remaining members of the gang and prevent further attacks. The success of the operation has been hailed as a significant victory in the state's ongoing battle against kidnapping and banditry, which has escalated dramatically in Kwara South over the past year.
The operation comes just days after another intelligence-led rescue mission by security agencies freed pupils and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, underscoring a renewed focus on coordinated efforts to combat kidnapping across the North-Central region. Kwara South, long regarded as one of the more peaceful pockets of Nigeria's Middle Belt, has witnessed a massive wave of abductions that has turned its farms, highways, and places of worship into hunting grounds for armed gangs. Since April 2025, virtually no month has passed without a kidnapping across the district's seven local government areas — Ekiti, Isin, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Oke-Ero, Offa, and Oyun.
What began as sporadic highway ambushes has hardened into an entrenched criminal economy operating from forest corridors linking Isin, Ekiti, and Ifelodun, with escape routes bleeding into Kogi and Ekiti states. The turning point came on November 18, 2025, when terrorists stormed Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, in Eruku, killed three worshippers, and dragged 38 people — including the pastor — into the bush, demanding ₦100 million per victim. The raid drew national outrage and prompted the Senate to move toward classifying kidnapping as terrorism. Monarchs, imams, government officials, Chinese miners, farmers, church vigil-goers, and even Point of Sale operators have been seized. In April 2026, an Odo-Ore businessman's family paid ₦31 million — only for the rescue party sent to collect him to be abducted too, with a fresh ₦200 million demand.
In May, 25 people were taken in twin attacks; by July, coordinated raids on Gaa-Alla, Gaa-Oke Abba, and Famole left one dead and scores missing. Senator Lola Ashiru, representing the district, said his district was "under siege," citing roughly 142 abductions and 70 killings in twelve months. Schools have shut, night vigils suspended, and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has engaged the Army severally in crisis talks as Kwara South's residents wait, and pray, for the forests to fall silent.
The Thursday operation has brought a measure of relief to the affected communities, but residents and local leaders have called for sustained military and intelligence pressure to dismantle the criminal networks that have turned the region into a kidnapping hub. The Kwara State Government has yet to issue an official statement on the operation, but security sources have confirmed that the rescued children are in stable condition and have been reunited with their families. The recovery of sophisticated weaponry from the scene suggests that the kidnappers were well-armed and organised, raising concerns about the proliferation of illegal firearms in the region.
Security analysts have praised the coordination between the DSS and local forest guards, noting that community-based intelligence remains critical to the success of such operations. The involvement of forest guards, who possess deep knowledge of the terrain, proved instrumental in locating the hideout and executing the raid with precision. The operation also highlights the importance of sustained investment in intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration as part of a broader strategy to combat kidnapping and banditry.
As clearance operations continue, security agencies have urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. The Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property and has assured the public that it will continue to support security agencies in their efforts to restore peace to the troubled communities of Kwara South. The rescue of Fatima and Ibrahim Azeez stands as a testament to the bravery and professionalism of the security operatives involved, and a reminder that, even in the face of escalating violence, decisive action can still bring hope to families torn apart by abduction.
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