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.
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.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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