Absence of regional security network, terrain intractability and community members’ collusion have been identified by multiple security sources as reasons behind escalation of banditry currently bleeding Kwara South in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria.

The revelations are coming amid intense fights in the region, with the Nigerian military opening another phalanx of heavy bombardments in the Babana border community of Borgu, Niger State, on what many believe are retreating bandits dislodged from Kwara.

Troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade, operating from the Forward Operating Base in Babana, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State (bordering Kwara), recorded a major breakthrough against bandits in the early hours of Thursday.

At about 2:50 a.m., soldiers engaged a group of armed criminals attempting to infiltrate the Babana axis, forcing them to retreat under heavy fire.

A follow-up operation along the escape route led to the neutralisation of two bandits on the outskirts of Babana town.

Recovered items included an AK-47 rifle, four loaded magazines, 323 rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition, and a mobile phone.

However, an officer and a soldier sustained gunshot wounds on the legs and are currently receiving medical care.

Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, while commending his troops, hinted that the operations would be further intensified to rid the area of criminal elements and safeguard law-abiding citizens.

As learnt by Sunday Independent, the Nigerian military, as at the end of this week, mounted a successful cordon around areas believed to be fortresses of the bandits in parts of Kwara and Niger, two states bordering each order with a view to containment and utter annihilation of the insurgents.

But the security forces face difficulties on account of the terrain which may pose a challenge to effective surveillance and troop movement.

Kwara South, with its expansive forests, rugged terrain, and limited road access, has become a haven for bandits who exploit these natural features to evade law enforcement.

Traditional surveillance methods such as ground patrols and daylight reconnaissance have proven largely insufficient as criminals retreat deep into thick vegetation and inaccessible fortresses.

“What the security forces are contending with is an asymmetrical warfare,” explains one of the security sources Sunday Independent spoke with during the week.

According to further findings, this kind of war does not yield to conventional mode of fighting.

“It’s very fluid, volatile, and makes our men vulnerable to ambushes,” the source explained.

Sunday Independent learnt, for instance, that a contingent of security men were ambushed along Shaare in Kwara, with one vigilante killed and some officers in the army wounded.

Though the insurgents were repelled with many of them biting the dust, such sneak attacks could be demoralizing to the troops and slowing the counterinsurgency efforts being mounted.

“We need an upgrade in our surveillance system, especially in the operation in Kwara and North Central at large,” said another source.

The bandits and insurgents plaguing the region are said to use the abundant forest covers, hills, and rugged terrain of the area to evade area surveillance.

For security agencies, the toll is equally steep. Bandits exploit Kwara South’s forest reserves and hilly landscapes to establish temporary fortresses.

Pursuit operations often stall at night or in low-visibility conditions, allowing criminal gangs to slip deeper into cover.

Despite intensified patrols by joint task forces under ‘Operation Harmony’, officers admit that conventional methods – ground reconnaissance, checkpoints, and community tip-offs – are not enough to decisively curtail the threat.

This reality has pushed discussions toward technology-driven surveillance.

Experts note that thermal imaging, already in use globally, could tilt the balance in favor of security forces.

Thermal cameras, whether mounted on drones, fixed towers, or mobile patrol vehicles, can detect human heat signatures even in dense forests, smoke, or darkness.

“Bandits’ advantage is invisibility; with thermal imaging, that advantage disappears,” a security analyst told this newspaper.

In practical terms, a phased deployment is possible. Drone-based thermal surveillance could provide rapid coverage of forests around Omu-Aran, Eruku, and Offa.

Fixed stations with solar-powered thermal cameras could be positioned along vulnerable border entry points, while mobile patrols fitted with handheld thermal binoculars can respond to alerts.

Integrating these feeds into a central command hub in Ilorin, supported by artificial intelligence, would allow real-time detection and rapid response.

While this may largely curtail the insurgency in the state, regional security is another matter entirely, considering that the North Central lacks a coordinated bottom up security network like in the South West with its Amotekun Corps or Ebubeagu in the South East.

Unlike the South East’s Ebubeagu or the South West’s Amotekun, the North Central region lacks a single unified security structure.

Instead, states like Kwara, Niger, Benue, and Kogi rely on fragmented vigilante services, hunters’ associations, and community guards, each operating under different command and funding systems.

This disjointed approach is increasingly viewed as a weakness in the fight against banditry and insurgency, especially in border communities between Kwara and Niger States, where criminal gangs exploit the lack of coordination to stage cross-border raids.

Security experts note that while the Nigerian Army and police carry out major operations in these zones, their effectiveness is limited by the absence of a standing, region-wide local intelligence network comparable to Amotekun or even the now-weakened Ebubeagu.

In Kwara, vigilantes are active in rural communities but lack proper training, equipment, and formal integration with federal forces.

In Niger, several joint task forces exist, but they operate in isolation and are often overstretched by simultaneous crises in Shiroro, Rafi, and Munya LGAs.

The result is that bandits easily evade operations, melting into forests and moving across state boundaries where no single outfit has jurisdiction.

Analysts argue that without a unified North Central security framework, counterinsurgency campaigns will remain reactive and piecemeal.

“A coordinated outfit could pool resources, streamline intelligence sharing, and prevent the duplication of efforts currently undermining security responses in the region,” said an intelligence officer who asked not be named.

In the last four months, bandits have turned Ifelodun, Isin, and Edu local government areas into flashpoints of violent crimes.

In Oreke–Okeigbo, two police officers were killed in a June raid on a mining site, while a Chinese national and a Nigerian worker were abducted. (Sunday Independent)

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