Edo Arrest Drama Ends in Ilorin as Army Hands Over Six Vigilantes, Police Clear Them of Wrongdoing

The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the receipt and subsequent release of six vigilante members who were earlier arrested by personnel of the Nigerian Army in Edo State, following investigations that cleared them of any criminal involvement.

Global Mirror News gathered that the vigilantes were intercepted by Soldiers along the Auchi–Ikpeshi Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State in early December 2025 and later handed over to the Kwara State Police Command on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the Command disclosed that the six individuals were travelling in a patrol vehicle belonging to Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State when they were stopped by Military personnel.

According to the Police, the suspects were formally transferred to the command by the Brigade Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Brigadier General N. N. Rume, for investigation and profiling.

“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 Police added that the vigilantes were exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing and were subsequently released to their respective leaders.

The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, CP Ojo Adekimi, reiterated the command’s commitment to inter-agency collaboration and synergy with community-based security outfits, while urging vigilante groups to always operate within the confines of the law.

The Police further assured residents of Kwara State of their continued resolve to ensure the safety and security of lives and property across the state.

Global Mirror News recalls that a 36-second viral video circulated 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 of Kwara State.

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 suspects, speaking in Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin, claimed that the patrol vehicle and rifles were supplied by the “Ilorin Government,” insisting they were operating under official security arrangements.

The Kwara State Government, however, dismissed the claims. In a statement by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, the State Government stressed that no State Government has the constitutional authority to issue or distribute AK-47 rifles, adding that no Security Agency arrested armed bandits in Ifelodun or any part of Kwara State.

The development highlights ongoing efforts by security agencies to strengthen coordination, clarify operational roles, and counter misinformation amid Nigeria’s broader security challenges.