Residents in Patigi and parts of Edu Local Government Area, Kwara State, are increasingly alarmed by repeated sightings of helicopters landing inside Patigi forest.
Many locals suspect these aircraft could be supplying weapons and provisions to criminal groups active in the area.
Mohammed Bana, who leads a local vigilante team, shared his unease.
“We don’t know exactly what is going on. Most of the time, we don’t even see them coming. We just hear the sound of helicopters landing inside the forest, sometimes in the middle of the night. This has created serious fear and suspicion among residents,” he said.
A former lawmaker from Edu LGA, who requested anonymity, also acknowledged that the issue has sparked serious discussion within the community.
“This is not mere hearsay. The issue has been extensively discussed among community leaders and stakeholders,” he said.
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Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, pushed back against the allegations, stating that the helicopters were deployed for security monitoring.
“On the allegation of helicopters dropping arms to terrorists in Patigi, the truth is that due to the vastness of the Patigi forest, we have to deploy aerial surveillance to monitor and access certain areas,” the commissioner clarified.
He also called for patience from the public.
“Some of these helicopters people are seeing are engaged in surveillance. In the next two or three weeks, the impact of these operations will become visible,” he added.