Armed bandits have launched fresh assaults in Nigeria’s North-Central and North-West regions, abducting at least 21 people in Kwara and Kano States barely hours after the Federal Government secured the release of dozens of hostages through controversial negotiations.

The renewed violence underscores the fragility of security in rural communities and has reignited debate over the government’s reliance on dialogue with criminal groups.

The latest incidents came less than two days after 38 worshippers kidnapped from Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State on November 18 were freed, and just hours after 24 schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi State regained their freedom. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga insisted no ransom was paid in the Eruku case, describing the operation as “non-kinetic” and based on direct communication with the abductors to avoid civilian casualties. He warned that failure to release victims would have triggered “kinetic action.”

In Kwara, residents of Isapa community in Ekiti Local Government Area reported that around 30 gunmen stormed the village on Monday evening, driving a herd of cattle and firing indiscriminately. Homes were riddled with bullets and spent AK-47 shells littered the ground. Police confirmed 10 people were abducted, though community sources put the figure at 11, including a pregnant woman, nursing mothers, and children as young as five. One elder told The PUNCH that seven members of a single household were taken, leaving the community “living in terror.”

Hours later in Kano State, gunmen attacked Biresawa and Tsundu villages in Tsanyawa Local Government Area, seizing 10 residents, mostly women. Locals said they attempted to resist but were outgunned, despite having warned security agents of suspicious movements in the area.

President Bola Tinubu responded on Tuesday by ordering round-the-clock Nigerian Air Force surveillance over forests in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States, backed by a full military cordon. Special Adviser Sunday Dare said the president had directed “continuous aerial watch” linked with ground operations, urging communities to report suspicious activity. In Kwara, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq inaugurated a “Safer Kwara” security committee chaired by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, tasked with producing localized counter-banditry strategies within four weeks.

The government’s admission of dialogue with bandits has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society. The Peoples Democratic Party described the approach as “capitulation,” while the Labour Party accused authorities of tracking social media critics more aggressively than terrorists. The African Democratic Congress argued that repeated attacks in the same local government area show negotiations are “feeding the banditry economy.” Retired military officers were divided, with some calling negotiations unacceptable and others stressing that saving lives must take precedence, though all agreed perpetrators must face consequences to deter copycats.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria condemned what it called “impunity” in repeated assaults on Christian communities, demanding accountability and stronger protection for vulnerable populations.

The fresh abductions, coming so soon after high-profile hostage releases, highlight the persistence of insecurity across Nigeria’s northern states and the mounting pressure on government to balance immediate rescue efforts or concessions with long-term deterrence.