Residents of Patigi and parts of Edu Local Government Area in Kwara State have expressed growing concerns over repeated and suspicious helicopter landings deep inside the Patigi forest. The development has raised fears of potential links to kidnappers and other criminal elements exploiting the forest's vast and inaccessible terrain.
According to local sources, the frequent aerial movements—often occurring at odd hours, including midnight—have heightened anxieties in communities that have already been grappling with increased insecurity in recent months. Some residents suspect the aircraft may be delivering arms, food, or other forms of support to insurgents or kidnappers hiding in the forest.
“We don’t know what is going on. Most of the time, we are not even aware of their coming,” a vigilante leader was quoted as saying. “We just hear the sound of helicopters landing, sometimes in the dead of night. This has caused serious concern among our people.”
A former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly from Edu LGA, who chose to remain anonymous, confirmed the suspicions are widely discussed within local leadership circles. “This is not just a rumour,” he said. “The matter has been discussed at very high levels within the community.”
Despite mounting fears, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has dismissed the concerns, clarifying that the helicopters are being used for authorized government surveillance operations. “Because of the vast nature of the Patigi forest, we require air surveillance to effectively monitor it,” he explained. “Some of these things people are seeing are actually part of security operations.”
However, this explanation has failed to convince many locals, who argue that the lack of transparency and direct communication from security agencies has only fueled more suspicion.
The anxiety comes amid reports that a terrorist group known as Mahmuda has been active in the area, allegedly responsible for several kidnappings and killings. Many residents fear the unidentified helicopters could be somehow tied to the operations of such groups.
Community leaders are now calling on both federal and state authorities to urgently address the issue by improving ground security presence and providing clear, consistent communication to calm the growing unrest.
As of now, the mystery surrounding the helicopter landings remains unresolved, leaving many in the region uneasy and calling for urgent intervention.
