Kwara VCRU bust suspected Bandit supply network, arrest key suspect in Ilorin

By Ahmed Olayinka

The Kwara State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against criminality with the arrest of a suspected logistics supplier linked to bandit operations in parts of the state, THE PRIME NEWS reports.

The arrest was made by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) during an intelligence-led operation in Ilorin, aimed at dismantling support networks that sustain criminal groups operating in forested and remote areas.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the suspect was apprehended following credible intelligence and sustained covert surveillance by operatives of the Unit.

Items recovered during the operation included a large quantity of assorted cigarette brands and other rations believed to be part of a supply chain servicing bandits and other criminal elements.

The police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly plays a strategic support role within a wider network responsible for providing food supplies and other forms of assistance to criminal groups.

Further investigations uncovered photographs on the suspect’s mobile phone showing him dressed in military camouflage and seated on a Bajaj motorcycle, a development the Command said has strengthened intelligence reports regarding his suspected links to criminal elements.

The statement noted that efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the network.

Speaking on the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling insecurity through intelligence-driven operations.

He assured residents that security agencies are not only targeting armed criminals but are also focused on dismantling the logistical structures, informants, collaborators and suppliers that enable criminal activities to thrive.

“The Command remains resolute in denying criminal groups the resources, freedom of movement, and support networks required to operate, while sustaining pressure on all persons involved in aiding criminality in any form,” the statement said.

The Police Command urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information, assuring the public of its determination to rid the state of criminal elements and their support networks.