Security operatives in Kwara State on Friday arrested five men linked to kidnapping and drug trafficking. The operation also uncovered 127 bags of cannabis hidden under a truckload of yam tubers.
The suspects were caught during a joint mission involving the Police, Army, forest guards, vigilantes, and officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser. The coordinated effort was carried out along the Babanla-Oreke-Oke-Ode axis, an area that has faced frequent cases of kidnapping and banditry.
Among those arrested was Tukur Ibrahim, a notorious figure from Tsaragi, accused of leading a violent raid on Babanla on August 8 that left the community shaken. Others taken into custody include Mohammed Abubakar and Hussain, both from Tsaragi, as well as two men from Niger State, Dan-Teni Haruna and Rabiu Ibrahim, who were caught with the hidden cannabis.
Authorities confirmed that the men are now in custody and will face trial after investigations are completed. The police commissioner in Kwara praised the teamwork of the agencies involved and stressed that the state will not allow criminal groups to operate freely.