Security operatives in Kwara State have arrested the president of the state chapter of Miyetti Allah, Idris Abubakar, alongside several associates, over allegations of sponsoring armed bandits and coordinating kidnapping operations across parts of the state.

The arrests followed a series of investigations into recent abductions along rural routes and farming communities, where victims and informants reportedly linked some of the attacks to individuals associated with the cattle breeders’ group. According to security sources, intelligence gathered over time pointed to a network of financiers and local collaborators who allegedly provided logistics, information and safe passage for criminal gangs.

During interrogation, Abubakar was said to have admitted to facilitating multiple kidnapping operations connected to bandit groups operating within and around Kwara. Investigators are probing claims that ransoms paid by families of abducted victims were partly funneled back into sustaining the activities of the armed groups, including the purchase of weapons and motorcycles.

“These are men over 60 years old, individuals who should be voices of peace, now accused of fueling terror and violence,” a security source familiar with the case said, describing the development as both shocking and deeply troubling for community relations in the state.

Authorities stress that the case is focused on specific individuals rather than the wider Fulani or pastoralist community. “This case exposes a deep moral failure by specific leaders, not a community, and it demands full accountability under the law,” the security source added, emphasizing that collective stigmatization could further inflame tensions and undermine cooperation with law enforcement.

The Kwara State Police Command and other security agencies are said to be widening the investigation to identify additional suspects, including alleged informants embedded in local settlements and markets. More arrests are expected as operatives track financial flows and communication records believed to link the suspects to known bandit cells.

Community leaders and rights advocates in the state have called for a transparent prosecution process, warning that any perception of a cover-up or selective justice could erode public trust. They also urged security agencies to protect innocent herders and residents from reprisals, while encouraging locals to share credible information that could help dismantle kidnapping and bandit networks.