Nigeria’s Senate has called on the government to establish a permanent military base in Kwara South after a wave of bandit attacks that has left dozens dead and forced thousands from their homes.
Senator Ashiru Oyelola (APC, Kwara South) told lawmakers that more than 70 people had been killed, 142 kidnapped, and 25 communities deserted in the past year, with farms abandoned and schools shut.
He said 12 forest guards and local vigilantes, including traditional leaders, were recently ambushed and killed in Oke-Ode, adding that armed groups with foreign elements were operating from forest hideouts along the Kwara–Kogi–Ekiti axis.
The Senate urged the Chief of Defence Staff and Inspector-General of Police to deploy additional troops, called on the disaster agency NEMA to provide relief to displaced residents, and directed committees to conduct a field assessment within two weeks.
Lawmakers also resolved to summon the Defence Minister, the Army Chief, and the Police Inspector-General to brief the chamber on security strategy.
