Gunmen Kill 12 Forest Guards in Central Nigeria Attack

Collected photo

At least 12 forest guards were killed in central Nigeria on Sunday during a deadly raid in Oke-Ode, a town about 70 kilometres from the Kwara state capital, Ilorin. Four others were wounded, authorities said.

Police said the armed men “invaded” the area, firing sporadically. The victims were part of teams tasked with protecting forests and flushing out criminal gangs and jihadists. The identities of the attackers remain unclear.

Local gangs and jihadist groups operate from hidden forest bases across northern and central Nigeria, looting villages, burning homes, and carrying out kidnappings for ransom.

Recent attacks in the state have been linked to the Mahmuda group, loyal to Mahmud al-Nigeri, a senior Ansaru leader. Ansaru emerged from a 2021 split within Boko Haram and later allied with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Nigeria’s national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said Ansaru maintains “urban sleeper cells” and remote forest bases in Niger and Kwara states. In mid-August, authorities captured al-Nigeri and fellow Ansaru figure Mahmud Muhammad Usman.

Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq called for “increased security deployments” to curb criminal activity and strengthen safety in vulnerable areas.