The Department of State Service has detained a medical doctor accused of transporting drugs from Sokoto State to kidnappers operating across parts of Kwara State.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, the doctor was stopped in the Jebba area after intelligence reports linked him to criminal groups needing medical support.
Security officials noted that the gangs appeared in urgent need of treatment for gunshot injuries sustained during clashes with security operatives. One official cautioned that “improved security measures in health facilities in thickly forested areas” were necessary, warning that such locations might become targets.
Kwara has faced a surge in bandit attacks in recent months. In November, gunmen abducted 38 worshippers and killed three people in the Eruku area. A farmer was also taken along the Eruku–Koro Road by four armed assailants carrying AK-47 rifles and cutlasses. A community figure, who preferred anonymity, said the attackers seized one Annas Aasanru during routine farm activities.
That same month, the Ojibara of Bayagan, Oba Kamilu Salami, was kidnapped in Ifelodun Local Government Area. However, on December 1, he and six others managed to break free after vigilantes launched an aggressive assault on the kidnappers’ hideout.
In Bokungi Village in Edu Local Government Area, four rice farmers were recently abducted while working during the peak of the harvest season. Witnesses recounted how the assailants suddenly appeared, encircled the farmers, and pushed them into the bush before taking them to an unknown location without encountering resistance.
What you should know
Kwara State has witnessed a steady rise in bandit activities, with communities increasingly targeted for abductions and violent attacks.
The arrest of a doctor allegedly supplying medical aid to kidnappers highlights deeper operational structures within these criminal networks. Recent incidents, including mass abductions, attacks on farmers, and the kidnapping of a traditional ruler, show how widespread insecurity has become.
Security operatives and vigilante groups are intensifying efforts, but the growing sophistication of criminal gangs continues to pose serious challenges to safety across rural and semi-urban communities.
