Kwara Police Arrest Eight Suspected Kidnappers In Joint Operation

Ilorin, Kwara State– The Kwara State Police Command, on Friday, disclosed that it has arrested eight suspected members of a notorious kidnapping gang in the State.

The arrests were made during a coordinated operation involving the police and local vigilante groups in the Babanla and Manasara villages, near Oke-Ode.

While parading the suspects at the state headquarters in Ilorin, the Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiye, disclosed that on 6th August 2024, at about 1400hrs, the Divisional Headquarters in Babanla received credible intelligence regarding the presence of a notorious group of kidnappers in the Babanla area.

The CP stated that upon receiving this information, security operatives, in coordination with local vigilante groups, conducted a swift and coordinated operation in the area.

He identified the suspects as Babuga Usman, Yunusa Yakubu, Sani Usman, and Abdullahi Bello.

“During the investigation conducted by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, all four suspects confessed to being members of a kidnapping syndicate. They admitted to participating in multiple kidnapping activities in the Lata area near Patigi, the Omu-Aran area, and the Akuma area along the Egbe axis.”

“The suspects also identified one Kachalla (alias ‘Dan-Gaskiya’) and another individual known as Gramazol as their leaders. They further disclosed that the AK-47 rifle used in their operations belongs to their leader, Kachalla.

He added that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on apprehending the ringleaders and securing additional evidence.

Similarly, on 15th May 2024, at around 1300 hours, the Divisional Police Headquarters in Oke-Ode received information about an armed invasion by suspected kidnappers in Manasara village, near Oke-Ode.

It was gathered that during this invasion, four individuals were kidnapped: Fatimah Haruna, Aisha Haruna, Nana Haruna, and Kabiru Mohammed.

However, during the incident, one Alhaji Isiaka Balogun was killed. Upon receiving this information, the police, in collaboration with vigilantes and local hunters, promptly mobilized and launched an operation to address this grievous crime.

According to the police chief, as a result of this concerted effort, on July 10th, 2024, the following suspects were arrested in connection with the case of kidnapping and culpable homicide.

The suspects are Mohammed Manman, Abubakar Mohammed, Aliyu Abubakar, and Abubakar Abdulkareem.

He said the investigation into the case is ongoing with meticulous attention to detail.

“Our objective is to ensure that all aspects of the crime are thoroughly examined and that justice is served for the victims. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the suspects will be formally charged in court to face the consequences of their actions,” he said.

The CP said, “At about 0504hrs a resident Oja-iya community raised an alarm upon discovering that thieves had invaded the community’s IBEDC transformer and were in the process of cutting the armored cable.

According to him, in a swift response, members of the community mobilized and apprehended the suspect, identified as Idris Hussain, a resident of the Ita Amadu area in Ilorin.

“Upon his apprehension, the community recovered the already cut transformer armour cable and a saw blade from the suspect.”

CP Olaiye noted that during the preliminary investigation, the suspect, Idris Huss, confessed to criminally trespassing into the Oja-Iya communal transformer yard and cutting the transformer cable using a saw blade.

He added that the investigation is ongoing and that further developments will be communicated as they arise.