The Nigerian Army has denied reports that bandits overran its troops and seized weapons in Obanla, Kwara State. A report by SaharaReporters claimed that last month, bandits ambushed a joint task force, capturing six General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) and over 30,000 rounds of ammunition. The same group is allegedly responsible for recent attacks in Kogi State.
In a statement, Lieutenant Colonel Polycarp Okoye, Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 2 Division, dismissed the claims as misleading and aimed at demoralizing troops. He stated that the 148 Battalion (Rear), conducting operations in Kogi and Kwara, recently neutralized two bandits and recovered two AK-47 rifles along the Kwara–Ekiti border, asserting that no positions were overrun or weapons lost.
The Army urged the public to provide credible information to support ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the region. Meanwhile, Kwara and Kogi have faced escalating banditry. In Yagba West, Kogi, recent attacks included the abduction of a woman and her two children in Bareke, the kidnapping of bus passengers in Ejiba, and an assault on Bethel Farm, where three people were taken. A bread distributor was also attacked, with one staff member shot. A video showed Okunran, Yagba West, deserted after residents fled due to repeated bandit assaults.
