BREAKING NEWS: I Can Tell You They Will Keep Those Children Inside Old Oyo Park Or Transport Them To Kainji-Bukarti

Lawyer and security analyst Bulama Bukarti has expressed concern about the likely location of victims abducted during recent attacks in Oyo State, warning that terrorist groups may be using national parks and forest reserves as hideouts and operational bases.

Bukarti made the observation during an interview on Channels Television on June 3, 2026, while responding to the Nigerian Army’s statement linking the perpetrators of attacks in Oyo State and other parts of the country to the Boko Haram insurgent group.

Discussing the difficulties security agencies face in tracing and rescuing kidnapped victims, Bukarti suggested that the abductors may be taking advantage of large, densely forested areas that are difficult to patrol and monitor effectively.

According to him, the victims could be held within remote locations such as the Old Oyo National Park or moved to the Kainji National Park, areas he believes have increasingly come under the influence of armed groups.

“I can tell you they would either harbor and keep those children inside the old Oyo National Park or they would transport them to Kainji National park where they have already overcome,” he stated.

Bukarti explained that terrorist organizations and criminal gangs have increasingly exploited forest corridors, game reserves, and protected parks as strategic sanctuaries. These locations, he noted, provide cover for armed groups to establish camps, conceal hostages, transport abducted persons, and avoid detection by security forces.

He further argued that the growing use of such remote territories has made efforts to locate and rescue kidnapping victims significantly more challenging, especially in areas where security presence and surveillance capabilities are limited.

His comments come at a time of heightened concern over insecurity across several parts of Nigeria, particularly following a series of attacks and abductions targeting schools, communities, and travelers. The Nigerian Army’s recent assertion that some of these incidents are connected to Boko Haram has intensified fears that insurgent groups are extending their activities beyond their traditional bases in North-Eastern Nigeria.

Security experts have repeatedly cautioned that the increasing presence of armed groups in national parks and forest reserves represents a serious security threat. They argue that the vast and often difficult terrain, coupled with inadequate monitoring and limited government control in some locations, has allowed criminal and terrorist elements to operate with greater mobility and relative freedom.

As security agencies continue investigations and rescue efforts, Bukarti’s remarks highlight broader concerns about the need for stronger surveillance, improved intelligence gathering, and more coordinated operations to prevent forested regions from becoming safe havens for insurgent and criminal networks.