A major security breach has shaken Nigeria’s armed forces after heavily armed bandits ambushed a military unit in Kwara State, overpowering the troops and carting away six General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) along with more than 30,000 rounds of ammunition. Multiple security insiders said that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), which initially tracked the movements of the attackers, allegedly refused to provide air support during the confrontation.
The same gang, now operating across Kogi State, has reportedly been behind several recent killings, including the massacre of at least 27 villagers in Yagba West Local Government Area over the weekend.
According to military sources, the attack in Kwara took place last month in the Obanla area, where a joint task force was deployed for a special operation. The troops, unaware that their mission had been compromised, walked into a deadly ambush staged by the bandits, who had obtained intelligence about the army’s planned movements.
“Six GPMGs and over 30,000 rounds of ammunition were taken from our men in Kwara,” a senior officer revealed. “These same bandits have now advanced into Kogi State and are behind the latest killings there.”
Another operative confirmed that the gang relies heavily on insider information to launch coordinated ambushes against security forces.
“Their strategy is simple,” the operative explained. “They get wind of an impending military response, prepare in advance, and strike before our men are ready.”
Investigations further revealed that the Nigerian Air Force had initially tracked the group’s movement but later declined requests for sustained aerial intervention when the gunfire began. The refusal, according to several sources, left the ground troops exposed and ultimately allowed the bandits to overpower them.
“The Army and Police couldn’t coordinate effectively, and when the Air Force was invited to engage, they simply refused to respond,” another senior officer revealed. “We didn’t lose this fight because we lacked firepower, but because our security agencies operate like rivals rather than partners.”
In the aftermath of the incident, sources said the Kwara State Government was handed an old video of an air bombardment to circulate publicly as evidence of a “successful operation.” The footage, later discovered to be fake, was used to calm public concern and create the illusion of victory.
“The state governor was given an outdated airstrike video to share on social media,” a source disclosed. “It was later traced to a completely different mission, unrelated to the events in Kwara.”
Earlier, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s media aide, Olayinka Fafoluyi, popularly known as Solace, had circulated photographs on Facebook claiming they showed fresh air raids against terrorists in Kwara South. However, a fact-check confirmed that the images were from Operation HADIN KAI conducted in Bula Marwa, Borno State, in October 2024. The photos, originally published by PRNigeria, bore no connection to the recent attacks in Oke-Ode and nearby communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area, where more than a dozen people were killed.
As Kwara reeled from the fallout, neighboring Kogi State was plunged into fresh bloodshed. On Saturday, at least 27 people were killed when gunmen stormed multiple communities in Yagba West Local Government Area. Witnesses described the assailants as heavily armed and well-organized, using sophisticated weapons believed to include those recently stolen from the army.
“Bandits killed 27 people in Yagba West, Kogi State, just yesterday, and it wasn’t even reported,” a military source confirmed. “They invaded with heavy weapons and opened fire on anyone in sight.”
Yagba West, the home constituency of Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Services, has suffered repeated attacks in recent weeks. On Friday, bandits invaded Bareke in Egbe around 2 a.m., abducting a woman and her two children while her husband narrowly escaped with injuries. The assault occurred close to Senator Karimi’s residence.
A day earlier, another group of armed men attacked a commercial bus in Ejiba, kidnapping all passengers and killing a motorcyclist identified only by his registration number 256. That same night, gunmen raided Bethel Farm in the same area and abducted three workers. Hours before that, along the Ejiba–Odo-Eri road, they attacked a bread distributor, shooting one of the staff members.
Photographs obtained show a burnt motorcycle believed to belong to local vigilantes who confronted the attackers during one of the nighttime raids. On September 26, 2025, a video was releassed showing Okunran, another Yagba West community, completely deserted after repeated bandit assaults. The footage revealed empty streets and abandoned homes, underscoring the fear and displacement that have gripped residents in the area.
Security experts say the events unfolding in Kwara and Kogi reflect a much deeper institutional crisis within Nigeria’s defense and intelligence systems. They warn that the growing rivalry between security agencies, coupled with propaganda efforts to cover operational failures, continues to weaken the fight against banditry and terrorism.
“What we’re witnessing isn’t a lack of weapons or funding,” one intelligence officer said. “It’s the result of distrust, inefficiency, and a total breakdown in cooperation among those tasked with securing the nation.”
As citizens mourn the latest victims and entire communities flee their homes, many Nigerians are asking how a country with one of Africa’s largest defense budgets keeps losing ground to bandits armed with its own stolen weapons.