The Nigerian Army has apprehended five suspected bandits at a checkpoint along Share Town in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, after they were allegedly found in possession of six AK-47 rifles concealed in a vehicle.
According to Nigerian Tribune, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the state governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, disclosed the development in a statement on Friday, quoting a top security aide. According to the statement, the suspects were arrested on Thursday during a routine patrol by army personnel in the area.
“Five suspected kidnappers were arrested today along the Share axis. They concealed six AK-47s under charcoal in a Golf saloon car this afternoon,” the security aide said on Thursday night.
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“They were intercepted by the Nigerian Army team on patrol. The five suspects are undergoing interrogation.”
The arrests came barely 24 hours after six other individuals suspected of being couriers for kidnapping gangs were apprehended around Babanla Town, also in the Ifelodun LGA. They were reportedly caught with a large consignment of bread and petrol believed to be intended for criminal groups operating in the axis.
According to the statement, the couriers were arrested on Wednesday during a surveillance operation by government-backed local vigilantes who discovered them while they were in hiding.
“They have been transferred to the police headquarters in Ilorin for further investigation,” the source added.
The CPS further revealed that many suspected criminals were neutralised earlier in the week during a coordinated assault carried out by government-backed vigilante forces in the Omu Aran-Eruku area on Tuesday.
“Six motorcycles, assault rifles, and many loaded magazines were recovered from their hideouts.
“Four women and two young men, all suspected to be abduction victims, were rescued and handed over to the police divisional post in Omu Aran,” Ajakaye stated.
The latest series of arrests and operations highlight the ongoing collaborative efforts between the Nigerian Army, local vigilantes, and state authorities to curb banditry and kidnapping in Kwara State.
