The reign of one of north-central Nigeria’s most dreaded kidnap lords has ended. Maidawa, a shadowy figure who had long terrorized communities across Kwara and neighbouring states, was killed alongside members of his gang in sustained aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The Kwara State Government confirmed the breakthrough on Thursday, describing it as a decisive victory in the ongoing campaign to reclaim forests and rural corridors that had become safe havens for armed criminals.
According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaiye, Maidawa and his foot soldiers were struck in the Isanlu-Isin axis during coordinated operations on September 30. The confirmation, officials disclosed, came through classified intercepts of the kidnappers’ own communications.
One of the intercepted exchanges, traced to the Igboro-Idofin road, captured another wanted kidnapper, Baccujo, breaking the news of Maidawa’s death to his associates. Security agencies later linked the call to a broader kidnap-for-ransom network operating from Marabar Maigora in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State—evidence of the far-reaching tentacles of the criminal syndicates menacing Nigeria’s hinterlands.
For years, Maidawa’s gang had struck fear into farming communities, ambushing highways, raiding villages, and abducting scores of residents, including women and children, for ransom. Their activities, officials say, crippled local economies and forced mass displacements in parts of Kwara North.
“Security forces, spurred by the renewed calls of the state government for urgent intervention, have intensified the push to dislodge the kidnappers,” the government said. “These elements have turned swathes of our forests into operational bases, from which they attack and abduct civilians with impunity.”
The latest operation is part of a phased offensive covering areas recently ravaged by bandit incursions, including Ekiti, Ifelodun, Isin, Edu, and Patigi LGAs. The strikes have also been extended into parts of neighbouring Kogi State, underscoring the cross-border nature of the crisis.
Analysts say the fall of Maidawa, though significant, highlights both the scale of the security challenge and the sophistication of the networks involved. “These groups are not isolated gangs,” a senior security source told this newspaper. “They are interconnected cells spanning several states, often with backers who supply arms, logistics, and intelligence. Eliminating one kingpin is important, but it doesn’t end the war.”
For residents of Kwara’s border communities, however, the news has brought relief and renewed hope that the cycle of abductions might finally be broken—if the momentum is sustained.
