Kwara Security Forces Arrest Man Allegedly Supplying Food and Drugs to Bandits in Patigi

A 36-year-old man identified as Yaman Patigi has been arrested in Patigi town, Kwara State, while allegedly attempting to deliver food items, hard drugs, and other supplies to armed bandits operating in the area.

The arrest occurred on Friday in Patigi, headquarters of Patigi Local Government Area, amid growing insecurity across parts of Kwara. The suspect was reportedly found in possession of foodstuffs, alcoholic beverages, hard drugs, and cigarettes intended for delivery to criminal elements hiding in the forest.

According to Nigeria News 247, Yaman has been transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ilorin, the state capital, for further investigation.

Communities in Patigi, Edu, and Ifelodun LGAs have been under siege in recent months, facing repeated attacks that have resulted in multiple deaths and destruction of property. Many residents have been forced to flee to safer areas as a result of the violence.

In response, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq recently convened a meeting with community stakeholders to discuss security strategies aimed at flushing the bandits from their forest hideouts.

Meanwhile, reports from Lata Nna community in Patigi LGA suggest that at least seven local vigilantes were ambushed and killed by suspected bandits last Thursday while returning from a clearance operation. Their bodies were recovered on Saturday by another team carrying out a similar mission.

Although attempts to get an official response from security agencies were unsuccessful, sources say the Nigerian Army is preparing a sustained operation to dislodge the criminal groups from the region.