Security tensions in Kwara State reached a boiling point at the weekend as five suspected kidnappers reportedly of Yoruba and Fulani origin were arrested after a fierce gun battle with a combined team of soldiers, local vigilantes, and hunters around Ero Dam in Odo Owa, straddling Oke-Ero and Ekiti Local Government Areas.
Intelligence sources told Kwara News Update that the suspects had been under discreet surveillance for weeks over allegations of coordinated kidnapping, extortion, and armed attacks in the axis. Acting on a tip-off, operatives launched a dawn operation which led to the arrests. Bundles of cash in naira and dollars, believed to be ransom proceeds, were recovered on the spot.
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officials confirmed two of the arrested suspects as Bunmi, an indigene of Odo Owa, and Ramoni, of Fulani extraction. Three others remain under interrogation, and their identities have yet to be officially released.
The arrests immediately ignited outrage among residents who claimed the suspects had operated unchecked for too long. In scenes described as âcommunity justice,â angry youths reportedly set fire to vehicles and other properties linked to the suspects, demanding a permanent security presence in the area.
Security analysts say the incident underlines how rural communities in Kwara have become flashpoints for armed crime and how grassroots vigilante networks are increasingly stepping in to fill gaps left by overstretched formal security forces. Authorities have since tightened patrols around Odo Owa and neighbouring settlements to forestall reprisal attacks and restore confidence.
The NSCDC and other agencies are expected to brief the press further on the ongoing investigation, especially on how the suspects allegedly sustained their operations despite previous crackdowns.
