Police Arrest Suspected Kidnapping Gang Leader, Others in Kwara
. Arrest suspected bandit in Kogi
Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Kwara State Police Command has reportedly arrested a suspected kidnapping gang leader and three others who had been terrorising the people of the Kwara North senatorial district of the state in the past few months.
ß Similarly, the Kogi State Police Command has disclosed that the operatives of the Command have arrested the suspected bandits who perpetrated the coordinated attack on Ayegunle community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect in Kwara, according to the Police Command, was nabbed at the Tabida area of Okuta in the Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
A statement issued in Ilorin yesterday by the Police Command, signed by its state Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, stated that the Command also recovered two AK-47 rifles with fully loaded magazines from the suspect and believed to have been used by the criminal gang in carrying out their operations.
The statement said that the success recorded on the arrested leader of the kidnappers was through the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).
The statement read: “The Kwara State Police Command has recorded a major operational breakthrough in its ongoing offensive against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
“On June 1, 2026, operatives attached to Okuta Divisional Headquarters, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended a group of suspicious persons believed to be involved in criminal activities during a routine raid operation within the Tabida area of Okuta, Baruten LGA.
“Following the arrest, the suspects were transferred to the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Command for detailed investigation and profiling.
“Preliminary investigation by the VCRU led to the identification of one Umar Abubakar, alias Manti, as the leader of a kidnapping syndicate believed to have been responsible for a series of kidnapping incidents and related violent crimes in Kwara North, particularly around Okuta, Ilesha-Baruba, Tabida/Taberu, and adjoining communities.”
The statement said that: “Further intelligence-driven investigation resulted in the recovery of two AK-47 rifles with fully loaded magazines believed to have been used by the criminal gang in carrying out their operations.
“The recovery represents a significant disruption of the group’s operational capability and a major step towards restoring public safety within the affected areas.
“The suspects are currently in police custody and are providing investigators with useful information that will aid in identifying and apprehending other members of the criminal network.
“Efforts are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the syndicate’s activities and bring all those connected with the crimes to justice.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, commends the professionalism, resilience, and operational efficiency of the officers and men of the Violent Crime Response Unit and other supporting formations whose collaborative efforts led to the success.
“The Command further assures residents that intelligence-led operations have been intensified across strategic locations, while all available resources are being deployed to ensure the continued safety of lives and property throughout the state. The suspects remain in police custody while investigations continue.
“They will be charged in court upon the completion of
investigations.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command has disclosed that the operatives of the Command have arrested the suspected bandits who perpetrated the coordinated attack on Ayegunle community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Command Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Afusat Saliu, and made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday.
The statement said: “Following a distress call received at about 2:49 a.m. reporting sporadic gunfire in Ayegunle Community, the state Commissioner of Police, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, immediately deployed tactical and operational assets to the area.