A coordinated, intelligence-led tactical operation by the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) of the Kwara State Police Command has dealt a severe blow to banditry networks operating along the state’s border corridors. The operation resulted in the arrest of suspected bandits, the neutralization of a key logistics facilitator, and the recovery of military-grade assault weapons.
The operational breakthrough was made public on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, via an official statement obtained by 9japarrot media and signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the state’s police chief.
Acting on actionable intelligence regarding the movement of violent criminal syndicates within the Baruten Local Government Area, VCRU operatives executed a joint tactical raid in close collaboration with personnel from the Okuta Divisional Police Headquarters.
The sting operation, conducted on Saturday, June 6, 2026, targeted a isolated criminal hideout in the Okuta axis, leading to the immediate arrest of two frontline suspects, Bello Mohammed (28) and Abubakar Mohammed (25).
A meticulous search of the perimeter led detectives to recover a sophisticated cache of arms, ammunition, and operational materials hidden by the gang including Two (2) AK-47 Assault Rifles, Sixty-Five (65) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, Two (2) cutlasses & one (1) tactical dagger, Two (2) heavy-duty tube tyres (allegedly used for binding and restraining kidnap victims), Firearm servicing and maintenance kits, Criminal charms, one mobile device, and a high-capacity power bank.
Preliminary profiling and interrogation linked the suspects to an organized cross-border network responsible for the recent spike in armed attacks, highway robberies, and high-profile kidnappings for ransom within the Baruten axis and adjoining communities sharing boundaries with neighboring states.
During interrogation, 25-year-old Abubakar Mohammed confessed to his active participation in the group’s violent operations. He revealed that he had previously escaped a fierce gun battle with security forces, during which he sustained severe gunshot wounds that resulted in the amputation of three of his fingers.
Following up on confessions and tracking data generated from the suspects, police operatives expanded their dragnet on Sunday, June 7, 2026, leading to the arrest of Umoru Saliu (58).
Intelligence analysis exposed Saliu as a critical institutional facilitator for the syndicate. The 58-year-old allegedly provided safe house accommodations, logistics intelligence, and an enabling environment for the gang’s leaders and fleeing members who are currently being hunted down by specialized police units.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, CP Ojo Adekimi, psc, mnips, lauded the tactical discipline of the invading teams, describing the breakthrough as a major milestone in the command’s unrelenting offensive against violent crimes.
The CP noted that the field success directly mirrors the operational strategies and security directives instituted by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, whose national mandate focuses on aggressive community policing, intelligence exploitation, and the total dismantling of asymmetric criminal networks across Nigeria.
The command added that extensive field combing is ongoing to track down and arrest other fleeing members of the cell. All suspects currently in custody will face formal prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction as soon as preliminary investigations are concluded.
