Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Kwara State have arrested two suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate in Ilorin and recovered a cache of assault rifles and ammunition in an intelligence-led operation.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adekimi Ojo, announced the breakthrough through a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Superintendent Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi. He said the operation was executed by the Intelligence Response Team attached to the Kwara State Command following credible intelligence on the activities of a suspected kidnap gang.

The suspects, identified as 30-year-old Adamu Ibrahim and 29-year-old Sani Musa, were tracked and arrested within the Ilorin metropolis after sustained surveillance. Police sources said the duo had been on the radar of security agencies over alleged links to a wider network of kidnappers operating within and around Kwara State.

According to the police, preliminary investigation showed that the suspects allegedly attempted to conceal their weapons by handing them over to a female accomplice. The arms were to be moved discreetly to an agreed location where the gang was reportedly planning to launch a kidnapping operation.

Following their arrest, Ibrahim and Musa allegedly led investigators to a hideout believed to be one of the syndicate’s armouries. From the location, operatives recovered three AK-47 rifles, five AK-47 magazines and 143 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

The Commissioner of Police said further findings indicated that the suspects and other fleeing members of the group were allegedly planning a coordinated attack, with different cells of the syndicate moving in small groups toward a designated convergence point. The plot was disrupted, he added, through timely intelligence and rapid deployment of operatives.

Police said the arrested suspects have confessed to belonging to a kidnapping syndicate that has been active in parts of Kwara and neighbouring states. Security sources described the recovery of multiple assault rifles as a significant blow to the gang’s operational capacity.

The command assured residents that efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate who are currently at large. The suspects in custody, the police added, will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations, as authorities intensify measures to curb kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.