From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The Kwara State Police Command, has arrested a physically challenged man, Joseph Adeoye, 52, for allegedly possessing a locally made pistol, while another suspect, Issa Fatai, 35, was arrested for allegedly attempting to purchase the firearm.
The arrests were made on Tuesday, October 13, during a police surveillance operation around Ojatuntun Market in Ilorin, the state capital.
The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday, explaining that Adeoye was intercepted at a drinking spot where a search reportedly led to the recovery of a locally made, cut-to-size pistol.
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Further investigation led to the arrest of Fatai, who was identified as the alleged intended buyer of the firearm.
“During interrogation, both suspects reportedly admitted their involvement in the transaction,” Ojo said.
He added that the suspects remained in police custody and would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations.
The arrests formed part of a series of security operations announced by the police commissioner, covering suspected kidnapping, armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, murder, child abuse and the recovery of suspected human body parts.
In another development, the police arrested two men, Kamalden Lukmon and AbdulGaniyu Ibrahim, on October 8 along Bakase Road, Alapa, where two suspected human hands were recovered.
According to Ojo, preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspects allegedly intended to use the body parts for money-making rituals.
The suspects reportedly claimed that a vigilante member, identified as Abdulraf Apata, handed the body parts to them, an allegation the police said was under investigation.
The commissioner said investigations were ongoing to establish the origin of the suspected human remains, identify the possible victim and determine whether other individuals were involved.
In a separate operation, police arrested a suspected kidnapping kingpin, Abubakar Usman, also known as Jaye, at Jebba Cattle Market on October 11.
Ojo said the suspect was linked to kidnapping incidents in Oke-Ode and Oro-Ago, as well as the killing of members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The suspect was also accused of threatening to kidnap a prominent member of a cattle-rearing association and demanding N10 million.
The police commissioner said Usman had allegedly confessed to the offences under investigation and was assisting detectives with information to identify other suspects.
Similarly, Ahamdu Dahiru, a suspected kidnapper allegedly linked to a wanted gang leader known as Aro, was arrested at Kannbi in Moro Local Government Area on October 10.
According to Ojo, Dahiru allegedly confessed to leading four kidnapping operations in Eruku, Oke-Ode, Idofin and Babanla, during which large sums of money were collected.
The suspect reportedly led police operatives and members of the vigilante group to a forest between Bani and Kaiama, where four AK-47 rifles allegedly used in the operations had previously been buried.
However, the firearms were no longer at the location, as the suspect’s alleged accomplices were said to have moved them to an unknown destination.
The police said a bag containing suspected hard drugs, chains and a padlock believed to have been used in securing hostages was recovered at the location.
Ojo said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and recover the missing firearms.
The police also arrested Umaru Ahmadu at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area over an alleged connection to the kidnapping of two persons from a Fulani settlement in Okeya.
The suspect reportedly admitted membership of a kidnapping gang and identified other alleged accomplices who remained at large.
In another case, the command arrested Saba Ismail, 25, over an alleged N10 million ransom demand made to a resident of Batakan, via Tsaragi, in Edu Local Government Area.
The victim reportedly received a threatening telephone call on September 8, with the caller threatening to abduct him if he failed to pay the money.
Police investigations allegedly traced the telephone number to Ismail, who reportedly confessed to the offence.
The commissioner urged residents to report threats, suspicious calls and ransom demands promptly, stressing that timely information could help security agencies prevent kidnappings and apprehend suspects.
The command also announced the arrest of three suspected motorcycle thieves, Mohamed Umar, 20, Aliyu Aliyu and Babuga Umar, 30, at Dankurumi Settlement, Kosa, via Bani.
A red Bajaj motorcycle allegedly stolen from the Daba area of Bani was recovered during the operation, while efforts continued to apprehend another suspected member of the group identified as Hanaruwa.
In a separate murder investigation, police arrested Salihu Seidu, 25, over the alleged killing of his 65-year-old father-in-law, Alhaji Lawal Umar, at a Fulani camp in Agah Village, Moro Local Government Area.
The deceased was reportedly found inside his tent on October 6 with multiple machete wounds.
Ojo said preliminary findings indicated that the suspect allegedly attacked the deceased while other occupants were asleep.
The suspect reportedly confessed to the killing, claiming he believed the deceased was responsible for the death of his son about two weeks earlier.
The police commissioner also disclosed the arrest of three suspects over the alleged exhumation of graves and removal of human heads at a cemetery in Omupo.
The case came to light in May when community members discovered that some graves had been tampered with and the heads of bodies buried there were missing.
According to Ojo, Abu Jimoh and Ayo Jimoh were arrested on October 8 while allegedly digging graves at the cemetery. During interrogation, they reportedly identified a herbalist, Mukaila Bello, as the alleged buyer.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned after investigations.
Meanwhile, the commissioner expressed appreciation to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for donating 25 new Hilux vehicles to the police command, saying the gesture would improve operational mobility, police visibility and response to security threats across the state.
He urged residents to sustain their cooperation with security agencies, assuring them that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property through intelligence-led policing and professional investigations
