As bandits from the North push farther toward the fringes of the South, security anxieties have deepened across the southern corridor, stretching from the thick forests of Oke-Ogun in Oyo to the oil-rich creeks of the Niger Delta.

The widening arc of bandit movements, according to multiple findings by Sunday Vanguard, now touches strategic boundary points in Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Niger and parts of Edo, stirring unprecedented fear among southern communities.

From Oyo’s decision to deploy traditional hunters into deep forest belts to Enugu’s adoption of drone surveillance, and from Rivers’ fortified marine security units to Ondo’s reactivation of Amotekun strike operations, southern states are no longer treating the threat as distant.

They are responding with a mix of technology, community policing, legislative reforms, inter-agency operations and, where necessary, traditional security structures that draw from native knowledge of the terrain.

Urgency

Recognising the urgency of the escalating threat, South-West governors recently convened an emergency meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to coordinate responses to the bandit incursions.

The gathering underscored the immediate need for a unified security strategy across the region, with each state expected to bolster patrols, strengthen intelligence networks and ensure rapid communication between agencies.

Officials noted that the fluidity of the bandit movements required swift, proactive measures to prevent any foothold from being established within southern territories.

The forum also highlighted the importance of collaboration with non-state security actors such as Amotekun, traditional hunters, and community vigilante groups.

The region governors agreed that without such integration, state security agencies alone would struggle to cover the vast forested and border areas, particularly along Oke-Ogun, Akoko, and other vulnerable corridors.

Emphasis was placed on preemptive rather than reactive operations, signalling a significant shift from previous ad hoc responses.

Jurisdictional gaps

Beyond the South-West summit, the Southern Governors Forum, recently, backed the state police commands and their ongoing operations, reinforcing the legitimacy of law enforcement actions.

In a joint communiqué, the forum expressed full support for intensified patrols, rapid deployment of reinforcements, and strategic positioning of checkpoints to seal known entry points. Officials also stressed that intelligence-sharing protocols across the 17 states in the South must be tightened to prevent criminals from exploiting jurisdictional gaps.

Traditional rulers across the South-West had also thrown their weight behind the security initiatives, committing to work closely with both state agencies and community security structures. The monarchs pledged to mobilise local networks for intelligence gathering, monitor suspicious movements, and enforce community-level compliance with security directives.

They reiterated that maintaining peace and preventing infiltration was a collective responsibility, blending modern security strategies with the unique knowledge of their local terrains.

Forests

In addition to moral support, the traditional councils have adopted additional measures such as night-time village watches, reporting systems for new or unfamiliar settlers, and oversight of farmland and forest access points.

Sources within the councils told Sunday Vanguard that these steps were aimed at complementing police and Amotekun operations, creating layered barriers that could detect and deter bandit activities before they escalate into full-scale threats.

Checks across the southern states, last week, identified the measures by state governments, fears and voices of officials and residents confronting this new phase of insecurity.

ONDO: Operation Le Won Jade, Amotekun

In Ondo State, anxiety rose significantly after intelligence reports suggested that bandits fleeing recent bombardments in Kogi and Niger were attempting to establish routes into the state’s rugged forest belts.

The government responded with a multilayered strategy that now defines the South-West’s most aggressive counter-bandit template.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, told Sunday Vanguard that the government had already activated heightened surveillance across all border councils.

He outlined steps that include the deployment of hunters and forest guards, reopening of dormant border security posts, intensified joint patrols, and the ongoing recruitment of 500 new Amotekun operatives.

“These measures are not random responses,” he said. “They are deliberate steps designed to secure the forests before any infiltration can take deep root”.

The state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, reinforced this assurance, saying the command is “operationally ready” and has placed all area commanders and tactical formations on emergency alert status.

“I have ordered intelligence-led raids, aggressive patrols of all black spots, and covert deployments for early detection,” he said.

To complement the police, Amotekun Commander Chief Adetunji Adeleye, launched Operation Le Won Jade, a sweeping anti-crime operation currently active in all 18 LGAs of Ondo.

He told Sunday Vanguard that the operation is yielding “massive results.”

“We have driven miscreants, bandits and kidnappers out of the forests,” Adeleye declared.

“Patrols run 24/7, and surveillance on boarding schools, especially those in border towns, is now fully active. We cannot allow criminals to regroup anywhere in this state”.

Adeleye’s tone reflects a state no longer willing to be reactive.

Ose, Akoko and parts of Owo are locations in the state previously hit by kidnappers.

EKITI: ‘We are ready for them’

Ekiti State maintains one of the strongest reputations for safety, yet recent online reports alleging gunfire and attacks triggered widespread concern.

Brigadier-General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), Special Adviser on Security to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, dismissed the reports as “baseless,” but admitted that heightened surveillance had been ongoing for weeks.

“Ekiti remains one of the safest states in Nigeria. But we are not sleeping. All security agencies have been meeting consistently to update strategies. There is no firing anywhere; people should not panic,” he noted.

Ogundana said the state’s Amotekun Corps, Agro Marshals, Anti-Grazing operatives, Peace Corps officers and federal security agencies are simultaneously active across all 16 LGAs of the state.

Sunday Vanguard recalls that the state recently recruited more than 500 operatives into its community security architecture and procured new patrol vehicles to enhance rural coverage.

Perhaps the strongest statement came from Governor Oyebanji himself, who issued a seven-day ultimatum to non-indigenes allegedly occupying a disputed farmland at the Isan–Eda Oniyo border.

The ultimatum followed fears that criminal elements could exploit the dispute to establish hidden settlements.

“We won’t wait for our people to be killed before taking action. Eruku in Kwara where killings took place is just a few kilometres away. We must act now,” the governor warned.

Traditional rulers were mandated to enforce the evacuation order, marking one of the most decisive pre-emptive actions taken by any southern government this season.

OGUN: Documentation of foreign nationals

Ogun State, Nigeria’s industrial hub, has adopted a security doctrine centred on identity verification, forest clearance, and multi-agency engagement. Governor Dapo Abiodun announced compulsory documentation of all foreign nationals living or working in the state, insisting that “nobody will be allowed to operate without proper identification.”

The move came after intelligence reports suggested that some forest reserves and illegal mining sites were being used as temporary shelter by itinerant criminal groups.

“Ogun is the gateway to Nigeria’s financial capital; we cannot afford security laxity,” the governor said. “Documentation is only one layer. We are also regulating scavengers, clearing forest outposts, and clamping down on illegal mining activities that criminals often hide under.”

Abiodun revealed plans for a Forward Operating Base in Ilara (Imeko-Afon LGA), a key border community with strategic northern access routes.

He also announced sanctions for landlords harbouring unregistered or suspicious tenants.

Security officials confirm that clearance raids are ongoing around Yewa North, Odeda, Imeko and other border communities where undocumented entrants are often first detected.

OYO: Hunters storm forests as surveillance expands

Oyo State occupies the most vulnerable South-West position due to its vast forestlands and long border with Kwara.

When residents of Oke-Ogun began reporting unusual movements deep inside forest belts around Igboho, Igbeti and Saki East, the state deployed licensed traditional hunters as the first line of counter-penetration.

Sunday Vanguard met farmers and hunters who expressed deep concern about recent sightings.

“We can’t sleep with both eyes closed anymore,” said Bamidele, a cassava farmer in Olorunsogo.

“We see faces in the bush we don’t recognise. These are not hunters or nomads. Something is happening.”

A veteran hunter, Pa Raufu Ajani, said their deployment was timely.

“We know the forest more than anyone,” he said. “If criminals enter, we will know. The government did well by involving us.”

Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (rtd), explained that the hunter deployment is only one part of a multi-layered system involving drones, surveillance cameras, reinforced Amotekun patrols and expanded intelligence networks.

“We are preventing infiltration before it becomes a crisis,” he said. “Bandits do not respect boundaries; we must stay a step ahead.”

The state has fortified checkpoints, expanded command-and-control systems and strengthened community intelligence channels anchored by traditional rulers. With previous attempts by criminal elements to penetrate Oke-Ogun forests, Makinde’s administration now maintains a posture of constant vigilance.

ENUGU: Drones deployed, forest surveillance strengthened

Enugu has emerged as the most technologically assertive state in the South-East with its recent deployment of surveillance drones over suspected migration corridors stretching from Nkanu to the Udi forest axis.

Security officials told Sunday Vanguard that the drones have already mapped several trails believed to be used by itinerant criminal groups fleeing pressure from Plateau, Benue and Kogi.

Alongside the drone programme, the state has strengthened its revamped Forest Guard Service, one of the most structured in the region, while boosting joint patrol operations with the police, army and neighbourhood watch units.

A senior Enugu security source said the state is “not taking chances” because groups displaced from the Middle Belt typically seek forested sanctuary as they move southeastward.

Governor Peter Mbah has also expanded community intelligence networks, insisting that no unfamiliar settlement will be allowed to take root in the state’s forest belts.

ANAMBRA: Coastline heightened, entry points secured

In Anambra, security attention is focused on the riverine and boundary communities around Anam, Aguleri, Otuocha and the Ogbaru axis, where authorities fear that fleeing criminal elements might exploit the state’s difficult waterways to filter in unnoticed.

Government has expanded marine patrols and increased drone sweeps over the Otuocha–Omambala corridor, a zone security agencies described as “the single most vulnerable entry route” from Delta and Kogi.

The state’s Joint Task Force, refreshed under the Soludo administration, also intensified night-time highway patrols on the Awka–Onitsha expressway and the Umunze–Nkwo Axis, which have seen periodic encroachments by isolated bandit cells.

Community vigilante groups, already widely regarded as one of the most organised in the region, now work under stricter intelligence-sharing protocols with formal security agencies.

IMO: Security buffer

Imo State’s defence structure remains heavily concentrated around the Orlu forest belt, where previous militant activities taught the government the dangers of leaving forest corridors unchecked. With bandit movements inching closer from parts of Rivers and Abia, Governor Hope Uzodimma recently approved new operational bases for security agents along the Orsu and Orlu boundaries.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that several abandoned forest tracks were closed off after security agencies discovered makeshift shelters believed to have been used by transient armed migrants.

The state has also fortified the Owerri–Okigwe road, which analysts warn could present a gateway if security is relaxed.

Local security outfits have been mandated to escalate suspicious sightings within minutes, a directive senior official described as part of the state’s “zero-settlement strategy” to keep bandits from establishing footholds.

EBONYI: Rural intelligence networks to shield border communities

Ebonyi, which shares difficult boundary terrain with Benue, Cross River and Enugu, has prioritised human intelligence as its main defensive tool. Authorities fear that the vast bushes around Effium, Akpoha and the Abakaliki–Benue boundary could tempt migrating armed groups searching for cover. Governor Francis Nwifuru has launched a rural surveillance initiative, linking town unions, security committees and traditional rulers directly to the state security command through a centralised reporting network.

Security officers told Sunday Vanguard that the new channels have already yielded “actionable intelligence,” prompting targeted raids in two border communities.

Additional police and military detachments have been stationed around Nworie, Amasiri and Ezza, with night patrols intensified on rural feeder roads to deter potential infiltration.

ABIA: Northern corridor secured as checkpoints return to major roads

Abia State’s security strategy has focused primarily on its northern corridor, the Umuahia–Uturu–Okigwe axis, which analysts say could become a natural pressure point should bandit migration from Kogi, Benue or Enugu intensify.

The government has restored layered checkpoints along federal and state roads while deploying tactical units into forest pockets around Lokpanta, a location previously flagged by multiple security reports.

Governor Alex Otti has also ordered continuous aerial monitoring using the state’s newly acquired mobile surveillance units, with the aim of detecting unusual gatherings or makeshift camps.

Community watchers in Isuikwuato and Bende have been integrated into a broader intelligence-sharing structure that officials say has helped intercept suspicious movements along the boundary lines.

RIVERS: Border security recalibrated

Rivers State, already grappling with complex security layers, has reinforced its border communities following internal intelligence that some armed elements displaced from Nasarawa and Kogi might attempt to enter through the forest belts around Emohua, Ahoada and parts of Ogba/Egbema. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the state’s C4i Intelligence Platform has been updated to integrate drone feeds from recent aerial mapping missions, while new detachments of anti-kidnap operatives have been deployed to strategic junctions linking Rivers to Imo and Bayelsa.

Community vigilante groups in Egbeda and Ubimini, it was learnt, have been placed on round-the-clock alert and now report even minor suspicious movements.

Marine units have also been tasked to secure creek routes that could serve as escape or infiltration channels.

DELTA: Patrols tightened

Delta State faces three major entry pressures from Edo, Kogi and Bayelsa, and has responded with a sweeping security reinforcement targeting Kwale, Ughelli, Patani and the creeks of Bomadi.

Security formations have been expanded along the East-West Road and the Asaba–Benin corridor, where intelligence sources warn that transient groups occasionally test the boundaries.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori recently authorised aggressive forest reconnaissance around the Ndokwa axis after hunters reported unfamiliar footprints and abandoned encampments.

In Delta’s waterways, marine patrols have been increased to seal off escape routes that criminals often use to evade mainland crackdowns.

A security chief told Sunday Vanguard that “Delta will not allow any new group to settle; the order is to disrupt fast and disrupt early.”

CROSS RIVER: Forest control across Oban corridor, patrol logistics upgraded

Cross River’s dense forests, especially the Oban corridor bordering Cameroon, have long attracted criminal groups seeking cover.

With new alerts over migrating bandits, the state has intensified joint military-police patrols around Ikom, Obubra and Akamkpa.

Governor Bassey Out approved the acquisition of new patrol vehicles and off-road motorcycles to allow security operatives navigate unpredictable terrain.

Community forest rangers have been incorporated into a unified command structure that tracks movement inside national park buffer zones, ensuring that no unfamiliar settlements take root. Sunday Vanguard gathered that patrols have been expanded by nearly 40% over the last month.

BAYELSA: Marine security strengthened, illegal jetty access points shut down

Bayelsa’s security concerns differ from other states due to its geography. With dense creeks and mangrove swamps offering natural hiding places, the state government has shifted focus to marine security.

The Douye Diri administration recently commissioned new gunboats for joint patrols with the Navy and anti-pipeline security teams around Brass, Nembe and Southern Ijaw.

Security officials say illegal jetty access points in Yenagoa and Ogbia have been shut down to stop criminal migration from Delta and Rivers. Intelligence units are also monitoring makeshift camps in swampy locations where fleeing gangs occasionally attempt to regroup.

A senior operative told Sunday Vanguard that “the governor’s directive is clear—no bandit group will be allowed to exploit our creeks.”

EDO: Local vigilante network reorganized

Edo State has reinforced the borderline communities around Akoko-Edo, Etsako and Owan following credible reports of early infiltration attempts by armed migrants travelling down from Kogi.

Government reorganised its local vigilante network long regarded as one of the most experienced in the state, placing them under tighter operational supervision.

Joint Task Force teams have been deployed to comb forests around Ibillo and Igarra, areas historically exploited by criminal elements for temporary shelter.

Along the Benin bypasses, the state police command has revived rapid-response patrols, citing heightened concerns that the state could serve as a gateway into the South-West if not properly secured.

Community intelligence channels have also been strengthened to ensure no suspicious settlement goes unnoticed.

AKWA IBOM: Proactive steps, masquerades

Like sister states, the escalating spillover of northern bandits violence into the South is generating tension in Akwa Ibom State.

To contain the growing threats and douse residents’ apprehension, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has commenced intense stakeholders engagements aimed at strengthening internal discipline within his command and enhancing public safety across the state.

For Governor Umo Eno, however, the potential threats from northern bandits seem of less concern as opposed to other southern governors announcing new mitigating strategies and policies.

At the moment, Eno’s greater security concern for Akwa Ibom turned out to be his perceived threat to public peace by the ‘Ekpo’, the traditional masquerade of the people.

A couple days after announcing a ban on the ‘Ekpo’, Eno on Wednesday signed an Executive Order prohibiting public display by the ‘Ekpo’, ordering arrests, prosecution and penalties for offenders.

For Azare, tackling the bandits threats require a mix of review of the security situation in the state, strengthening collaborations through stakeholders engagements, caution against fake news and declaration of new law enforcement directives and sanctions.

In the timeline on his command’s interventions, the CP began implementation on November 22 when his “attention was drawn to the “viral message in circulation alleging mass arrival of Boko Haram fighters into some states in southern and North-Central regions of the country, including Lagos, Kwara, and Rivers States, and further claiming dangerous key holders embedded with tracking devices are being distributed at public places.”

He cautioned: “Given Akwa Ibom State’s proximity to some of the states mentioned in the false alert, the command considers it necessary to address the public directly.

“The command categorically states that the message is FAKE, MISLEADING, and should be DISREGARDED. No intelligence from any security agency to support these claims. The content is purely fabricated to cause fear, panic, and unnecessary tension among members of the public.

“Residents of Akwa Ibom State are therefore advised to remain calm, go about their lawful activities and avoid sharing unverified information that can create distress within the state.

“The command assures Akwa Ibom people that robust security measures are in place across all LGAs. Our patrols, surveillance units, tactical teams and community policing structures are fully operational and actively monitoring the security environment”.

Two days after, the CP chaired a stakeholders meeting with traditional rulers, religious leaders, market and transport unions, students unions, Nigeria Labour Congress, community leaders, and the media in attendance.

Azare harped on the concern that the “spread of fake news and unverified security alerts on social media, have the potential to cause panic and undermine public confidence and must be disregarded.”

While the stakeholders; enlightenment continues, the command has moved beyond into field foe enforcement of some of the new directives and warnings flowing from the new security concerns. (Sunday Vanguard)

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