Insecurity in Kwara: 48 arrested suspects freed after police profiling shows no crime link
The Kwara State Police Command has released 48 men who were arrested on September 4, 2025, along the Alade–Oreke axis in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, after extensive profiling cleared them of any links to criminal activity.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday, explaining that the suspects were earlier intercepted while riding in clusters on 14 motorcycles, with 43 mobile phones and other personal belongings recovered from them.
According to the Command, the men underwent rigorous scrutiny, including criminal intelligence analysis, digital forensic examinations of their phones, call records, communication trails, transaction history, and geo-location mapping.
The checks, however, revealed no incriminating evidence or criminal affiliations.
“After exhaustive technical profiling and background checks, no incriminating evidence or criminal affiliations were established against the suspects. Consequently, all 48 individuals have been duly released this morning,” the statement read.
Earlier statement: Group said arrested suspects were on their way to Maoulid Nabiyy
It will be recalled that the Babanla Youth Forum had earlier issued a statement rejecting reports that the suspects were linked to Babanla community.
According to the group, the men were apprehended after Oke-Ode on their way toward Awere, and not in Babanla.
The forum added that the suspects themselves reportedly said they were heading to Bode-Saadu for a Maoulid Nabiyy programme, stressing that the only item recovered from them was a piece of rope, which by itself could not be tied to kidnapping or violent activities.
Rising Insecurity in Kwara
The incident comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in parts of Kwara State, particularly in Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi LGAs.
Rural communities have faced repeated attacks in recent months, with residents lamenting slow security responses to banditry and kidnapping.
Just last weekend, gunmen stormed Shagbe community in the same local government area, killing residents, abducting several others, and invading the palace of the Onishagbe.
In August, suspected bandits also kidnapped two people in Babanla shortly after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the community to reassure locals of tighter security.
The Police Command has, however, reiterated its commitment to swift intelligence-led operations, urging residents to remain calm, vigilant, and cooperative in providing credible information that can help tackle the wave of violent crimes.
