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“We Stopped the Migration”: DHQ Smashes Terror Cells Moving from Kogi to Ekiti Forests

Metro Desk

ABUJA — The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the interception and destruction of a major terrorist logistics network attempting to establish “sleeper cells” across the North Central and South West corridors.

In a press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, revealed that troops of the Nigerian Army, working in synergy with local vigilance groups, successfully halted a coordinated “southward migration” of bandit elements from Kogi and Kwara into the dense forests of Ekiti, Ondo, and Oyo states.

General Buba issued a stern warning to criminal elements believing the forests of the South West offer sanctuary. “The mandate is clear: There is no safe haven. Whether in the Savannah of the North or the rainforests of the South, we will find you, and we will crush you,” he declared.

The “Kabba-Ekiti” Interception

General Buba disclosed that intelligence tracking identified a syndicate moving weapons and fighters under the guise of cattle herders through the Kabba-Obajana axis in Kogi State, aiming for the Oke-Ako forest in Ekiti State. “Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, acting on credible intelligence, ambushed the syndicate at the Kwara-Ekiti border,” Buba stated. “We neutralized 12 combatants and recovered a cache of arms intended to destabilize the South West.” The operation led to the arrest of a high-profile logistics commander, simply identified as “Yellow Bogobiri,” who confessed to coordinating kidnapping rings across the Ogun and Oyo axis.

Cleaning the Forests: “Operation Forest Sanity”

The report highlighted a simultaneous clearance operation across the six affected states:

  • Kwara & Kogi: Troops dismantled three camps in the Kaima and Yagba West Local Government Areas, which served as “transit points” for kidnappers moving between the North and South.
  • Ekiti & Ondo: In a joint operation with the Amotekun Corps, the military combed the forest reserves bordering Akure North and Ikere, recovering 45 motorcycles and rescuing 14 abducted commuters.
  • Ogun & Oyo: The military confirmed it has deployed “dominance patrols” along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Old Oyo National Park to prevent fleeing insurgents from regrouping.

“No Safe Haven”

General Buba issued a stern warning to criminal elements believing the forests of the South West offer sanctuary. “The mandate is clear: There is no safe haven. Whether in the Savannah of the North or the rainforests of the South, we will find you, and we will crush you,” he declared.

The DHQ also urged residents of these states to report any “suspicious clusters of strangers” camping in their localities, noting that the “human intelligence” provided by villagers was the key to this week’s success.