Police release six Vigilante operatives arrested by Nigerian Army
Police release six Vigilante operatives arrested by Nigerian Army
The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed that six members of a vigilante group earlier arrested by the Nigerian Army in Edo State have been released after investigations cleared them of any criminal involvement.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, explaining that the vigilantes were arrested in early December 2025 along the Auchi–Ikpeshi Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to the police, the individuals were travelling in a vehicle belonging to Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State when they were intercepted by soldiers.
They were later handed over to the Kwara State Police Command on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, by the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Brigadier General N. N. Rume, for investigation and profiling.
Following the probe, the police said the men were confirmed to be lawful members of a recognised local security outfit.
“Following a thorough investigation, it was established that the individuals are legitimate members of a vigilante group operating in collaboration with recognised security agencies in the ongoing efforts to combat banditry and other forms of criminality,” the statement said.
The command added that the vigilantes were exonerated and released to their respective leaders after no evidence of wrongdoing was found.
The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation and effective collaboration with community-based security groups, while advising vigilante operatives to always work within the bounds of the law. He also assured residents of the police’s resolve to protect lives and property across the state.
The development followed public concern triggered by a 36-second viral video that surfaced on December 14, 2025, showing soldiers interrogating a group of suspected bandits allegedly found patrolling with AK-47 rifles in a local security patrol vehicle bearing the inscription of Ifelodun Local Government Area.
In the footage, the suspects were seen lying face down with their hands tied as soldiers questioned them about their activities and the source of the weapons recovered.
One of the men, speaking in Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin, claimed the arms and vehicle were supplied by government authorities.
“We have been here for quite a while. We are using the vehicle for patrol. Wallahi, na the truth I dey tell you. The Ilorin government na him give us this motor and the weapons. They were the ones that gave us the rifles,” the suspect said.
However, the Kwara State Government swiftly dismissed claims that it armed the suspects. In a statement issued on Sunday night by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, the government denied that any arrests of armed bandits were made in the state.
“The Nigerian Army did not arrest any armed bandits in any part of Ifelodun. No security agency ever reported such arrests in Kwara,” Olukoju said.
She further refuted suggestions that the state government supplied AK-47 rifles, stressing that no state government has the authority to issue or distribute such weapons.
