iDeemlawfulNigerian troops have arrested a group of suspected bandits who were allegedly found conducting patrols with AK-47 rifles in a local security patrol vehicle in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The suspects were intercepted by soldiers during a security operation in the area and subsequently taken into custody.
In a video currently circulating online, the arrested individuals were seen lying face-down on the ground with their hands bound, as soldiers questioned them about their activities and how they obtained the weapons in their possession.
During the questioning, one of the suspects, who spoke in Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin, alleged that both the patrol vehicle and the rifles were supplied by the Kwara State government.
He claimed they had been operating in the area for some time under the pretext of carrying out patrol duties.
“We have been here for quite a while. We are using the vehicle for patrol. Wallahi, na the truth I dey tell you,” the suspect said in the video.
“Ilorin government na him give us this motor and the weapons. They were the ones that gave us the rifles.”
The suspect further alleged that the weapons were not collected personally by him but by their leader, whom he referred to as “our oga,” stressing that several individuals were involved.
“We are not the ones that collected the rifles; it was our oga that collected them. I know because I was with them. We go patrol many times with them, including oga Victor. All of them are involved. The weapons are theirs,” he alleged.
He repeatedly maintained that the rifles did not belong to them, swearing by God that the weapons were not privately owned by the group.
The video also captured other detainees, with their hands tied, repeatedly chanting religious phrases as the interrogation continued.
As of the time of reporting, the Kwara State government has not released any official statement addressing the allegations made by the suspects.
Similarly, the Nigerian Army has yet to issue a formal statement outlining the circumstances surrounding the arrest or verifying the claims.
Watch the video below:
For several years, allegations have persisted that politicians sponsor criminal elements, including terrorists and bandits. One of the most recent accusations was directed at Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who has repeatedly denied claims linking him to bandit groups.
