A physically challenged man has been arrested by the Kwara State Police Command over alleged possession and attempted sale of a locally made pistol, as the police intensified their crackdown on suspected kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal networks in the state.
The suspect, identified as Joseph Adeoye, 52, was arrested on Tuesday during a surveillance operation around Ojatuntun Market, where a search reportedly led to the recovery of a locally made, cut-to-size pistol.
The police also arrested a 35-year-old man, Issa Fatai, who was allegedly identified as the intended buyer of the firearm.
The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Adekimi Ojo, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, while presenting updates on several security operations across the state.
According to Ojo, both suspects reportedly admitted their involvement in the transaction during interrogation and remain in police custody pending the conclusion of investigations.
The commissioner did not disclose whether the suspects had any links to established kidnapping or armed robbery gangs, while investigations into the alleged firearm transaction continue.
In another major development, the police arrested two men over the possession of suspected human body parts allegedly intended for money-making rituals.
Ojo identified the suspects as Kamalden Lukmon and AbdulGaniyu Ibrahim, who were arrested on October 8 along Bakase Road, Alapa, with two suspected human hands.
The suspects allegedly claimed during preliminary interrogation that they intended to use the body parts for money-making rituals. They further alleged that a vigilante member, identified as Abdulraf Apata, handed the body parts to them.
The police commissioner said the claims were being investigated to establish the origin of the body parts and determine whether other persons were involved.
The suspects are being held by the Violent Crimes Response Unit as investigators work to identify the possible victim and establish the circumstances surrounding the case.
Ojo also announced the arrest of Ahamdu Dahiru, a suspected kidnapper allegedly linked to a wanted kidnapping kingpin known as Aro.
Dahiru was arrested at Kannbi in Moro Local Government Area on October 10 following intelligence received by police operatives and assistance from community members.
The commissioner said the suspect allegedly confessed to leading four kidnapping operations in Eruku, Oke-Ode, Idofin and Babanla, during which large sums of money were reportedly collected.
According to him, the suspect subsequently led security operatives to a forest between Bani and Kaiama, where four AK-47 rifles allegedly used in the operations had previously been buried.
However, the firearms were no longer at the location, as the suspect reportedly claimed that his fleeing accomplices had moved them elsewhere.
The police recovered a bag containing suspected hard drugs, chains and a padlock believed to have been used in securing hostages at the location.
Ojo said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and recover the missing firearms.
In a related development, the command arrested Abubakar Usman, popularly known as Jaye, a wanted suspect allegedly linked to kidnapping incidents in Oke-Ode and Oro-Ago, as well as the killing of some members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The suspect was apprehended at Jebba Cattle Market on October 11 following sustained efforts by the police.
Ojo further alleged that Usman was connected to a May 2025 incident at Labaka village, where four suspected kidnappers arrested by local vigilantes reportedly escaped after a group led by him arrived and fired gunshots into the air.
The suspect was also accused of threatening to kidnap a prominent member of a cattle-rearing association and demanding N10 million.
The police commissioner said the suspect had reportedly confessed to the offences under investigation and was assisting investigators in identifying other persons connected to the alleged crimes.
The command also arrested Umaru Ahmadu at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area on October 12 over an alleged connection to a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting two persons from a Fulani settlement in Okeya.
According to Ojo, the suspect allegedly admitted belonging to a kidnapping gang and named several individuals said to be involved in its operations.
He also reportedly disclosed that a pump-action rifle was being kept by an alleged accomplice identified as Tukur of Kajaola, through Oke-Ode.
The police said efforts were being intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspects and recover the firearm.
Meanwhile, three suspects have been arrested over the alleged killing of a 65-year-old man, Alhaji Lawal Umar, at a Fulani camp in Agah village, Moro Local Government Area.
The principal suspect, Salihu Seidu, 25, who is the deceased’s son-in-law, was arrested following a tip-off.
Ojo said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect allegedly entered the deceased’s tent while other occupants were asleep and attacked him with a machete.
The suspect reportedly confessed to the killing, claiming that he believed the deceased was responsible for the death of his son about two weeks earlier.
The police said investigations were continuing to determine whether anyone else was involved.
The command also announced the arrest of three suspected motorcycle thieves at Dankurumi settlement in the Kosa-Bani axis, with the recovery of a red Bajaj motorcycle allegedly stolen from the Daba area of Bani.
The suspects reportedly identified another man, who remains at large, as an alleged accomplice involved in selling stolen motorcycles.
In another case, the police arrested Saba Ismail, 25, over an alleged N10 million ransom demand and threats to kidnap a resident of Batakan, through Tsaragi, in Edu Local Government Area.
The suspect was reportedly traced through the telephone number used to make the threat and arrested following an investigation by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad.
Ojo said the arrest demonstrated the importance of promptly reporting threats and suspicious calls to security agencies.
The commissioner also disclosed the arrest of Musa Hussein, 30, in Afon over alleged links to kidnapping and other criminal activities in the Orile Igbon area of Oyo State.
Three other suspects were arrested over an alleged armed robbery at Gure Fulani Camp, where armed men reportedly invaded a residence in an attempt to steal a motorcycle.
The police said a locally made pistol and a cutlass were recovered in connection with the incident, while efforts continued to apprehend another suspect who escaped.
In a separate case, the command arrested two men, Abu Jimoh and Ayo Jimoh, over the alleged exhumation of graves and removal of human heads at a cemetery in Omupo.
The suspects were arrested on October 8 after intelligence-led investigations into the discovery of disturbed graves and missing heads at the cemetery in May.
They reportedly mentioned a herbalist, Mukaila Bello, as the alleged buyer of the body parts. The police said investigations were continuing.
The command also reported the arrest of a 12-year-old girl’s father, stepmother and a neighbour over alleged child abuse and cruelty in the Adewole area of Ilorin.
The girl was allegedly beaten with an electrical wire and burnt with a hot coal-pot after losing N100 while hawking soya beans.
The three suspects have reportedly been arraigned and remanded at the Oke-Kura Correctional Centre.
Ojo commended the public for providing intelligence that had assisted security operations and appealed for continued cooperation in the fight against crime.
He also expressed appreciation to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for donating 25 new Hilux vehicles to the command, saying the gesture would improve police mobility, visibility and response to security threats.
The commissioner reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and the protection of lives and property, urging residents to provide credible information to help security agencies track criminals and prevent further attacks.
He assured residents that suspects would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of investigations, in accordance with the law.
