Security operatives in Kwara State have arrested five kidnap suspects and intercepted a large consignment of cannabis concealed in a truckload of yams.

The breakthrough was achieved on Friday through a joint operation involving the Police, Nigerian Army, Forest Guards, vigilantes, and operatives attached to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). The forces have been strategically deployed across Kwara South and North to tackle the rising cases of kidnappings and banditry.

Among those apprehended was a notorious kidnap kingpin, Tukur Ibrahim from Tsaragi, who led the August 8 invasion of Babanla that almost forced residents to abandon the community. Others arrested include Mohammed Abubakar and Hussain, also from Tsaragi.

The Kwara State Police Command spokesperson, Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement released Saturday morning. She disclosed that the operation, conducted around 4 p.m. on September 26 along the Babanla-Oreke-Oke-Ode axis, led to the interception of a vehicle carrying yam tubers under which 127 bags of substances suspected to be cannabis were concealed. Two suspects, Dan-Teni Haruna and Rabiu Ibrahim, both from Saliku, Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, were arrested in connection with the drug trafficking.

Adeyemi added that discreet investigations are ongoing, after which the suspects will be charged to court.

The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Adekimj Ojo, commended the joint security team for the successful operation and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property. He warned that Kwara State will not serve as a safe haven for criminals.