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The Kwara State Police Command has released 48 men earlier arrested on suspicion of banditry along the Oke-Ode axis in Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Ilorin on Monday. She said the decision followed “exhaustive technical profiling and background checks,” which showed no evidence linking the suspects to any crime.
“After detailed analysis, no incriminating evidence or criminal affiliations were established against the suspects. Consequently, all 48 individuals have been duly released this morning,” the statement read in part.
Ejire-Adeyemi explained that the men were intercepted on September 4 by police operatives and vigilantes attached to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“They were riding in clusters on 14 motorcycles along the Alade–Oreke axis. A total of 43 mobile phones and other personal items were recovered during the operation,” she said.
According to the command, the suspects’ devices underwent digital forensic examination, including call record extraction, communication trail checks, transaction history review, and geo-location mapping to determine possible links to kidnapping, banditry, or other forms of organized crime.
The spokesperson stressed that the exercise was conducted with “utmost professionalism, respect for human rights, and strict adherence to investigative procedures.”
She added that the outcome demonstrated the police force’s commitment to act swiftly on intelligence while ensuring innocent citizens are not unjustly criminalized.
The command urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, and to continue sharing credible information with security agencies in the collective effort to keep Kwara communities safe.
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