Security sources said the attack followed sustained pressure from a cross-border operation involving vigilantes from northern Benin and Babana in Niger State, who had moved against suspected terrorist enclaves around Kainji National Park.
Suspected Boko Haram fighters fleeing from an offensive by a joint team of vigilantes from Nigeria and the Benin Republic have killed five forest guards in Kwara State.
The assailants, believed to be under the command of Mallam Sadiku, also set operational motorcycles ablaze before retreating toward the Bani forest, which links the Old Oyo National Park.
A vigilante commander and a forest guard in neighbouring Kemanji said the attackers stormed Nuku at about 3:30 a.m. The Kwara police command confirmed the incident, noting that a mobile police camp was targeted.
Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi acknowledged the deaths and said a patrol vehicle was extensively damaged, adding that officers repelled the assault.
Security sources said the attack followed sustained pressure from a cross-border operation involving vigilantes from northern Benin and Babana in Niger State, who had moved against suspected terrorist enclaves around Kainji National Park.
“The joint vigilante teams have been engaging the Boko Haram fighters since Wednesday, and they have been on the run since then,” said Mohammed Mora, a vigilante member in Kaiama. He added that operatives from Babana reported pursuing the group through the Kainji forest.
According to him, the pursuit has been complicated by the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
“The vigilantes encountered seven bombs while trailing them through the forest,” he said, noting that each device detonated before the team reached the targeted points.
Another forest guard said the fighters were likely moving toward Old Oyo National Park.
“Residents saw them crossing into the Bani axis leading to the park,” he said. “Previous intelligence suggests another faction operates there.”
The Kainji axis has increasingly emerged as a convergence point for multiple armed groups, where jihadist factions operate alongside criminal bandits.
In July 2025, intelligence sources warned that the Sadiku-led Boko Haram faction had relocated to Kainji National Park, spanning parts of Niger and Kwara states, after abandoning its stronghold in Shiroro.
From this new base, the group escalated attacks, carrying out mass abductions, including of students, and raids on rural communities.
In November 2025, it attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, abducting hundreds of students and staff, who were later released in batches after ransom payments were reportedly made.
Earlier this year, the faction struck communities in Woro (Kwara) and Kasuwan Daji (Niger), killing more than 100 people and abducting at least 170 women and children. The victims were later featured in propaganda videos circulated on TikTok.
Since establishing itself in the area, the group has attacked multiple villages across both states. Analysts warn that the scale and coordination of its operations suggest possible links with Ansaru, which is connected to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), one of the most active al-Qaeda affiliates in the Sahel.
Although Nigerian security forces, working with regional counterparts, have launched repeated offensives against these groups, the fighters often disperse into dense forest corridors to evade capture and regroup.
