The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old suspected bandit, Mallami Abubakar, during a coordinated security patrol in Kaiama Local Government Area, as authorities intensify efforts to combat rising criminal activities in the state.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in Ilorin. According to the statement, the suspect was apprehended on April 1, 2026, at about 8:00 a.m. in Nanu community during a joint patrol operation involving police operatives, the National Forest Guards, and members of the Kaiama Vigilante Group.
Abubakar, who hails from Isanlu Dankuturu in Kogi State, was reportedly intercepted while moving through the area under suspicious circumstances.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly been contacted on March 30 by an associate identified only as “Babi,” from Babana Village in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. The associate was said to have invited him to travel to Farinsuni via Baruten Local Government Area, with the intent of joining a group believed to be linked to ISWAP/Lakurawa.
Police authorities noted that the invitation points to possible connections with organised criminal networks operating across parts of the North-Central region.
The command confirmed that the suspect remains in custody while further investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of his involvement and to track down other individuals connected to the case.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Adekimi Ojo, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property. He urged residents to remain vigilant and to provide timely and credible information to security agencies.
The arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in Kaiama Local Government Area, following a deadly attack in February in Woro and Nuku communities, where armed assailants reportedly killed over 200 residents and abducted at least 176 others, including women and children.
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