By Hyacinth Nwafor
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on Monday paid an operational visit to Kaiama in Kwara State following the arrest of 32 suspected bandits linked to kidnapping, cattle rustling and other violent crimes across rural communities.
The suspects were apprehended during sustained intelligence-driven operations carried out by the Nigeria Police Force through the Kwara State Police Command in collaboration with the elite Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the arrests followed coordinated raids on criminal hideouts scattered across forest corridors and remote settlements in the state.
Investigations revealed that the suspects belonged to multiple gangs operating within forests around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, Gbugbu, Tsaraji and Babanla, where they allegedly planned and launched attacks on vulnerable communities.
Police sources disclosed that the operations led to the arrest of two foreign nationals from the Niger Republic believed to be collaborating with local criminal groups in cross-border banditry and other illicit activities.
During the raids, operatives recovered four AK-47 rifles, 38 rounds of live ammunition, five walkie-talkie communication devices and a camouflage hydration backpack suspected to have been used by the gangs to coordinate operations and evade security patrols.
Further investigations also led to the arrest of Umar Mohammed, a suspect said to be from Jos in Plateau State, who is alleged to have supplied communication equipment to bandit groups operating within the forest belt.
Speaking during the visit, Disu said the arrests underscored the effectiveness of coordinated security operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks entrenched in forest enclaves across the region.
The police chief commended the professionalism and resilience of officers involved in the operation, while urging residents of affected communities to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Adekimi Ojo, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to intensify its offensive against banditry and related crimes, assuring that all suspects in custody would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.