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A retired Army General and other security sources explained that Kogi State serves as a key transit hub, with insurgents relying on Niger River corridors in eastern Kogi, especially Igala land, to cross into Anambra and proceed to Imo and Abia. The network is supported by dense forest links connecting the North and South, including routes through Niger, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, and into the South-East and South-West.
Analysts say these forest and river pathways, alongside traditional cattle routes, allow continued mobility and coordination across states such as Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, and parts of the Niger River basin. They further noted that Kogi and Kwara function as convergence points for logistics and coordination, with difficult terrain and sparse settlements aiding concealment and movement across the corridor.
He added a political dimension to the security situation in the area, saying, “Kogi is central to their planning. It is like the centre point, maybe for convergence and strategy. Unfortunately, a former Kogi governor, who introduced violence in that area and armed some criminals, disbanded them. But the guns were not recovered. Some of those boys are now with the terror groups. That is why if some Boko Haram members are arrested today, you see a lot of boys from Kogi, particularly Ebira and the Igala area.”
A Department of State Services (DSS) officer also confirmed that the forest network links several states, including Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti, forming a wide corridor that enables movement between northern and southern regions.
