Kwara Residents Raise Alarm Over Suspicious Helicopter Landings In Patigi Forest

File photo used for illustrative purpose

Residents of Patigi and parts of Edu Local Government Area in Kwara State have raised concerns over repeated helicopter landings in the expansive Patigi forest, fueling suspicions of possible connections to kidnappers active in the area.

Some of the local sources revealed that there are growing concerns that the aircraft may be supplying arms, food, or other logistics to criminal elements taking advantage of the forest’s expansive cover.

The area has witnessed a recent spike in insecurity, with fears that insurgent activity may be escalating in the region.

"We don’t know what is going on, but most of the time, we are not even aware of their coming," a vigilante leader was quoted as saying by Daily Trust. 

"We just hear the sound of their landing in the forest, sometimes even at midnight. This has raised serious suspicion and concern among residents,” he said.

Locals say the situation has become too frequent to ignore, and many now live in fear of what may be unfolding deep inside the forest.

A former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly from Edu Local Government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the growing anxiety. 

"This is not just a rumour. The matter has been discussed at very high levels within the community,” he confided.

Despite the fears, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, dismissed the suspicions, explaining that the helicopters were part of government-sanctioned aerial surveillance operations.

“On the issue of helicopters allegedly dropping arms to terrorists in Patigi, the truth is that because of the vast nature of the Patigi forest, we need air surveillance to penetrate it,” he explained. He added, “Some of these things that people are seeing are actually surveillance operations.”

However, many residents remain unconvinced, arguing that the lack of transparency and communication from security agencies has only fueled suspicions.

The alarm comes amid rising insecurity in parts of Kwara State, with a terrorist group identified as Mahmuda reportedly responsible for a series of kidnappings and killings in the state. Locals now fear that the presence of unidentified aircraft could be tied to the activities of such groups.

Community leaders are calling for greater clarity from the authorities and a more robust presence of conventional security forces to reassure the population and put an end to the growing unease.