A member of the House of Representatives, Jafaru Ali (Borgu/Agwara Federal Constituency, Niger State), has revealed that bandits terrorising parts of Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara States have turned the Kainji National Park into a de facto operational base. According to his motion moved during plenary, the bandits allegedly launch attacks from the park crossing borders among Nigeria and neighbouring countries, including the Republic of Benin.
Ali’s motion recalled a recent ghastly attack on 21 November 2025, when gunmen invaded St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, abducting 303 students and 12 teachers (though some pupils reportedly escaped). He further described a pattern of violence including abductions, killings, bombings of villages, and mass displacement of communities across several Local Government Areas.
The lawmaker asserted that many of the bandits are foreign elements some streaming in from neighbouring states such as Zamfara and Katsina — entering through forest corridors linking smaller reserves to the larger Kainji National Park. He warned that unless decisive military intervention occurs, the situation risks deteriorating, putting entire communities at the mercy of these roaming gangs.
In response to the motion, the House resolved to: order the Chief of Defence Staff to mobilise military operations to clear the park; establish Forward Operating Bases at strategic points (including Lumma, Audu Fari, Agwara, and Mago); call on humanitarian and displacement agencies to care for affected victims; and convert parts of the park into agriculturally-usable and monitored lands under the oversight of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA).
The revelation underscores concerns over security at Nigeria’s forest reserves and national parks long seen as potential hideouts for bandits. With the coming harmattan season, experts warn these zones may become even more vulnerable if not secured quickly.
