Police arrest 17 criminal suspects in Kwara
The Kwara State Police Command paraded 17 suspects on Tuesday in connection with various alleged criminal activities, including child cruelty, exhumation of graves, and possession of suspected human body parts.
During a press briefing in Ilorin, Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo announced the arrests of two individuals, Abu Jimoh and Ayo Jimoh, who were apprehended for allegedly exhuming graves at a cemetery in the Omupo community, located within the Kwara South Senatorial District. This incident occurred early on October 8, 2026.
“The suspects confessed to the crime during questioning and identified one Mukaila Bello, a herbalist, as the intended buyer,” Ojo stated.
Three additional suspects were presented regarding the alleged abuse of a child named Misturah Babatunde in the Idigba area of Adewole quarters, Ilorin. The suspects include the child’s biological father, Babatunde Mustapha; her stepfather, Abdulrahman Mustapha; and a neighbor, Bashirat Abdul Fatai.
Commissioner Ojo detailed that the child revealed she had been beaten with an electrical wire and had suffered burns to her buttocks from a coal pot.
“The incident involved her biological father, stepfather, and a neighbor,” Ojo said. He noted that the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department on October 9, 2026, and has since been referred to the Anti-Human Trafficking, Women, and Children Protection Unit for further investigation.
In a separate operation on October 8, 2026, police recovered suspected human hands from Kamalden Lukmon and Abdulganiyu Ibrahim after they were arrested at approximately 4 p.m. on Bakase Road, Alapa, in the Moro Local Government Area. During preliminary interrogation, the suspects claimed they intended to use the body parts for money-making rituals, alleging that a vigilante named Abdulraf Apata supplied them with the remains.
Authorities are currently investigating these claims to determine the involvement of any additional individuals.
Other suspects presented included Abubakar Usman, also known as “Jaye,” charged with conspiracy, kidnapping, and armed robbery; Saba Ismail, believed to be part of a theft gang; Ahmadu Dahiru, connected to multiple kidnapping incidents; and Umaru Ahmadu, linked to a specific kidnapping case in Okeya.
Additionally, Salihu Seidu was paraded for his alleged involvement in the murder of Lawal Umar, which occurred on October 6, 2026, at a Fulani camp in Agah village, Moro Local Government Area.
Preliminary findings indicated that Seidu traveled from Temidire to the deceased’s camp on the night of the murder, entered the tent while occupants were asleep, and attacked Umar with a machete before fleeing. Ojo reported that Seidu confessed to the crime, claiming he believed Umar was responsible for his son’s death two weeks prior.
