KWARA SECURITY CRACKDOWN: OVER 15 CRIMINALS ARRESTED AS POLICE DISMANTLE KIDNAP SYNDICATES, RECOVER ARMS, CASH
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
A sustained offensive against criminal networks in Kwara State has led to the arrest of more than 15 suspects, including notorious gang leaders, and the recovery of weapons, cash, and kidnapped victims, according to a government statement released on Thursday.
Among those apprehended is a high-profile outlaw known as Tambaya, described as the mastermind behind the recent deadly ambush on security operatives and vigilantes in Gada, Lafiagi, Edu LGA. Tambaya and eight of his accomplices were arrested in a coordinated operation that also neutralized several other gang members.
Two victims were rescued, and N11 million believed to be proceeds of crime was recovered during the raid.
The ongoing security operations are being coordinated by the Kwara State Government in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, state security agencies, and local vigilante groups.
Earlier, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed that recent intelligence-led strategies have significantly disrupted criminal activity across the state. “These arrests and recoveries are proof that no part of Kwara is safe for criminals,” Ojo said.
In another major bust, three women were arrested at Babanla Motor Park on June 25 for arms smuggling. Authorities recovered an AK-47 rifle and 31 rounds of ammunition concealed in a bag. One of the suspects confessed she was en route to join her husband a known kidnapper in Baba-Sango forest. A fourth suspect fled and remains at large.
On July 6, Suleiman Jamiu and Mumini Mohammed were arrested during a stop-and-search in Share with N11.3 million in cash. Police say Jamiu is linked to a February 2025 kidnapping where N20 million ransom was demanded, and investigators believe the cash was part of that ransom payment.
Multiple kidnapping suspects have also been detained in connection with high-profile abductions and killings in Oro, Lafiagi, and Share. Three suspects are facing charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and culpable homicide for attacks on a cashew factory and a residential area that left one person dead.
Six others were arrested for the kidnapping of Alhaji Abbass and Abubakar Issa in Lafiagi. The suspects, caught in Gbugbu, confessed to working for Tambaya and operating between Kwara and Niger states.
In Ifelodun LGA, one Buba Lawal was arrested in Oko with a loaded AK-47 magazine. Authorities believe he is linked to multiple attempted kidnappings and remains under investigation.
In Amoyo, a double-barrel pistol was recovered after three men fled from an uncompleted building during a police patrol. One of the suspects, a known drug dealer called “Bold,” is now being hunted.
Perhaps the boldest confrontation occurred in Okuta, Baruten LGA, where a police-led rescue mission on June 22 resulted in the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, 13 rounds of ammunition, and a red Golf car used by kidnappers. One suspect was arrested, another killed, and the kidnapped victim was rescued from a nearby bush. The arrested suspect, Idirisu Sariki, reportedly confessed to multiple abductions in the Nigeria–Benin border area.
CP Ojo reaffirmed the command’s commitment to eliminating criminal hideouts: “We will continue to disrupt their networks and bring every last accomplice to justice.”
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