The Kwara State Police Command has announced the disruption of a suspected logistics network supporting bandit operations and the arrest of a key suspect in Ilorin, the state capital. The operation was carried out by the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Police Public Relations Officer SP Adetoun Adeyemi said the arrest followed credible intelligence and sustained surveillance.
“Acting on reliable intelligence and covert monitoring, operatives apprehended a suspect in Ilorin whose activities were linked to the movement and supply of materials believed to be destined for criminal elements operating in forested enclaves and remote areas across the state,” the statement read.
Recovered items included a large quantity of assorted cigarette brands and other rations suspected to form part of a logistics chain supporting criminal groups. Preliminary investigations suggest the suspect played a strategic role within a wider network providing sustenance and assistance to bandits and allied criminal elements.
The Police further disclosed that photographs retrieved from the suspect’s mobile device showed him dressed in military camouflage and seated on a Bajaj motorcycle, reinforcing ongoing intelligence efforts.
The Command confirmed that investigations are underway to identify and apprehend other collaborators connected to the network.
Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, described the arrest as part of broader efforts under the strategic policing vision of Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun. He assured residents that security operations in Kwara are increasingly focused on dismantling not only armed criminals but also the logistical structures, collaborators, informants, and suppliers that sustain their activities.
“The Command remains resolute in denying criminal groups the resources, freedom of movement, and support networks required to operate, while sustaining pressure on all persons involved in aiding criminality in any form,” the statement added.
