From Aishat Shittu, Ilorin
A suspected member of a logistics network allegedly supplying materials to bandits and other criminal groups operating in parts of Kwara State has been arrested by the Kwara State Police Command.
The arrest was made by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following intelligence-led operations and sustained surveillance in Ilorin.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on Thursday, the suspect was apprehended, after investigators tracked activities believed to be connected to the movement of supplies destined for criminal elements hiding in forests and remote locations across Kwara State.
Items recovered from the suspect include: a large quantity of assorted cigarette brands and other provisions allegedly intended to support the operations of the criminal groups.
The police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect played a strategic role in a wider network responsible for providing logistics and other forms of support to bandits and allied criminal elements.
Investigators also recovered photographs from the suspect’s mobile phone showing him dressed in military camouflage and seated on a Bajaj motorcycle.
The command said the images had strengthened intelligence linking the suspect to criminal networks, adding that efforts were ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate.
Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Adekimi Ojo, said security operations in the state were increasingly targeting not only armed criminals but also those providing logistics, information and other forms of support for criminal activities.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and denying bandits access to the resources and support structures needed to sustain their operations.
The statement noted that investigations were continuing, while efforts had been intensified to track down other suspects connected to the network.