Kwara vigilantes arrest release confirmed as police say six members arrested by the army in Edo were cleared of wrongdoing

The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the receipt and subsequent release of six vigilante members earlier arrested by personnel of the Nigerian Army in Edo State.

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The Kwara vigilantes arrest release was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi.

According to the statement, the vigilantes were arrested in early December 2025 along the Auchi–Ikpeshi Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

They were travelling in a vehicle belonging to Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State when they were intercepted by soldiers.

The police said the suspects were formally handed over to the Kwara State Police Command on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

The handover was carried out by the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Brigadier General N. N. Rume.

Ejire-Adeyemi said the vigilantes were subjected to investigation and profiling following their transfer to the command.

“Following a thorough investigation, it was established that the individuals are legitimate members of a vigilante group operating in collaboration with recognised security agencies,” the statement said.

The police added that the group is involved in ongoing efforts to combat banditry and other forms of criminality.

The six vigilante members were subsequently exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing and released to their respective leaders.

The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Mr Ojo Adekimi, reiterated the command’s commitment to inter-agency collaboration.

He urged community-based security outfits to operate strictly within the confines of the law.

The police also assured residents of the state of continued efforts to safeguard lives and property across Kwara.

The incident followed the circulation of a viral video on December 14, 2025, showing soldiers interrogating suspected bandits.

The footage showed the suspects lying face down with their hands tied beside a patrol vehicle bearing the inscription of Ifelodun Local Government Area.

In the video, one of the suspects claimed that the vehicle and AK-47 rifles recovered were provided by the “Ilorin government.”

PUNCH Metro later reported that the Kwara State Government dismissed the claim.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, the state government said no security agency arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun or any part of Kwara State.

She also denied allegations that the state government armed the suspects.

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Olukoju stressed that no state government has the authority to issue or distribute AK-47 rifles.