Police arrest five suspected kidnappers, recover arms in Kwara

Crime Diary

ILORIN, Nigeria (NPA) —The Kwara State Police Command has arrested five suspected kidnappers and recovered arms and ammunition as part of intensified operations against violent crime in the state.

The command said the arrests followed heightened security measures and actionable intelligence.

On April 23, 2026, at about 1630hrs, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Team, working in collaboration with local vigilantes and forest guards, carried out a coordinated operation at Oke-Iya Community. The operation led to the arrest of three suspects identified as Idris Umar, Muhammed Usman, and Abdullahi Abubakar, who are linked to the recent attack on Idiya community where five persons were abducted.

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In a statement issued on April 28, 2026, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said further investigations revealed that two of the victims had earlier escaped from captivity. This led to the identification and subsequent arrest of two additional suspects, Mohammad Awal and Sani Mallam Musa.

Items recovered from the suspects include a locally fabricated revolver rifle adapted to fire AK-47 ammunition, as well as eight rounds of live AK-47 ammunition.

The police said investigations are ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of the process.