Nigeria TV Info 

Terrorism: Forest Routes Fueling South-West Kidnappings.

Security experts and local intelligence sources have raised fresh alarm over the growing use of dense forest corridors across Nigeria’s South-West as safe havens for armed groups carrying out kidnappings and rural attacks.

According to recent security analyses, forest belts spanning Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun states are increasingly being exploited by kidnappers and armed gangs as escape routes and operational bases, making rescue operations more difficult and slowing down law enforcement response times.

The region, once considered relatively peaceful compared to the North-West and North-East, is now experiencing a steady rise in abductions targeting farmers, commuters, traders, and even community leaders. Residents in rural communities say attackers often strike along highways and quickly retreat into nearby forests where tracking them becomes difficult.

How the Forest Routes Are Being Used

Security reports indicate that criminals take advantage of:

• Thick vegetation that limits aerial surveillance
• Poorly monitored rural roads linking multiple states
• Cross-border escape routes toward Benin Republic
• Weak security presence in remote forest settlements

These factors have created what analysts describe as a “corridor of vulnerability,” where kidnappers can move between states without easy detection.

A recent security assessment also warns that expanding armed groups from the North-Central and North-West are increasingly linking up with local criminal networks in the South-West, deepening the complexity of the threat landscape.

Rising Fear in Communities

In several states, schools, farmers, and transport operators have been directly affected. Some communities report abandoned farmlands due to fear of attacks, while others rely on local vigilante groups for protection in the absence of sufficient security coverage.

Security stakeholders also warn that panic is spreading in rural areas, as kidnappers continue to target isolated roads and forest-adjacent settlements.

Security Response

Authorities have intensified patrols in affected states, with joint operations involving police, military, and local security networks. Forest surveillance initiatives are also being expanded to disrupt criminal hideouts and improve intelligence gathering.

However, security analysts argue that without sustained forest mapping, stronger intelligence coordination, and improved rural infrastructure, the kidnappings may continue to escalate.

Conclusion

The growing exploitation of forest routes in the South-West highlights a shifting security threat pattern in Nigeria. What was once a regional issue is now evolving into a wider network of forest-based criminal operations requiring coordinated national response.