…Police findings confirmed that the individuals were bona fide members of a vigilante group
KWARA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed that six vigilante operatives earlier arrested by soldiers in Edo State have been released after investigations cleared them of wrongdoing.
In a statement issued Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the command said the vigilantes were intercepted in early December 2025 along the Auchi–Ikpeshi Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area while travelling in a vehicle owned by Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. They were later handed over to the Kwara State Police Command on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
The statement explained that the suspects were formally transferred by the Brigade Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Brigadier General N. N. Rume, for profiling and investigation. Police findings confirmed that the individuals were bona fide members of a vigilante group working in collaboration with recognised security agencies to combat banditry and other crimes.
The command said the vigilantes were fully exonerated and subsequently released to their leaders. The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation and community-based security initiatives, while urging vigilante groups to always operate within the law. The police also assured residents of continued efforts to safeguard lives and property across Kwara State.
The development followed a viral video reported on December 14, 2025, which showed soldiers interrogating suspected bandits allegedly found with AK-47 rifles in a local government-marked patrol vehicle. While one suspect claimed the weapons and vehicle were provided by the “Ilorin government,” the Kwara State Government dismissed the allegations, insisting no state authority armed the individuals and stressing that only the Federal Government has the power to issue such weapons.
