The Kwara State government on Sunday clarified that the Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandits in Ifelodun Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, following a viral video that sparked widespread speculation on social media.
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The one-minute, 36-second video shows soldiers interrogating suspected bandits allegedly patrolling with AK-47 rifles in a local security patrol vehicle marked with the inscription of Ifelodun LGA. In the footage, some suspects claimed that the vehicle and weapons were provided by the “Ilorin government.”
However, a statement from the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bola Olukoju, clarified that the individuals were not arrested in Kwara State, but in Auchi, Edo State. The government emphasized that no security agency, including the Army, has reported such arrests in Kwara.
“Indeed, no state government has the power to arm anyone with AK-47 rifles. The Ifelodun LGA clarified that the security van in question was previously provided to vigilantes deployed for local security and has since been recovered,” the statement read.
Reacting to the video, former Kwara State House of Assembly member Mashood Bakare urged the Federal Government to investigate the claims that the state government allegedly supplied arms to bandits terrorizing Ifelodun. Bakare described the allegations as disturbing and called for a transparent investigation.
“It is very disturbing to hear that criminals, when arrested, are alleging that the state government is aware of or involved in their activities,” he said, noting the worsening insecurity in the LGA, which has forced residents to abandon farms and communities.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, dismissed the allegations as “sheer disinformation,” clarifying that the suspects stated they received weapons from Abuja, not Kwara. He also linked the insecurity to regional challenges, including spillover from neighboring Kogi, Niger, and Benin Republic, rather than any local complicity.
Ifelodun LGA Chairman, Hadji Femi Yusuf, confirmed that the security van was recovered in Auchi, Edo State, by the Nigerian Army and thanked security agencies for their efforts. The vehicle had been originally deployed to support coordinated security operations against criminal gangs.
The controversy has revived concerns over insecurity in Kwara State, particularly in Ifelodun, which has previously experienced deadly bandit attacks. Residents and authorities continue to call for enhanced inter-agency coordination and intelligence sharing to combat violent crimes in the area.
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