At least eight suspected kidnappers have been apprehended by local vigilante operatives in a coordinated operation across several communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
According to credible sources, the arrests took place in Babanla, Babalomon, Oreke, and Oke-Ode communities. Although security agencies were yet to confirm the development at press time, jubilant residents lauded the efforts of local forest hunters and vigilantes for what they described as a “harvest of arrests” against criminal elements.
Kwara’s South and North Senatorial Districts have in recent months been plagued by sustained attacks from armed bandits, resulting in loss of lives and widespread destruction of property. Despite intensified operations by security forces, the criminals have maintained a dangerous presence in the state’s rural corridors.
Only last week, armed assailants stormed Babanla, killing five people — including a police officer, Adejumo Wasiu — and attacking the Divisional Police Headquarters as well as the town’s market. The onslaught forced many residents to flee.
In a separate incident on Sunday, three brothers were reportedly abducted in Lade, Patigi Local Government Area. Sources linked the persistent insecurity to the activities of the so-called ‘Mahmuda’ terrorist group in Baruten and Kaiama LGAs, and armed bandit gangs operating in Ifelodun, Lafiagi, and Patigi.
The escalating situation recently prompted Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to tour parts of Kwara North. At the weekend, the state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, alongside the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the security climate in Babanla.
