As part of ongoing efforts to implement the strategic policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, geared towards intelligence-led crime fighting and the dismantling of criminal networks, the Kwara State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough through the operations of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Thursday in Ilorin.
SP Ejire-Adeyemi said the operatives of the unit, acting on credible intelligence and sustained covert surveillance, arrested a suspect in Ilorin whose activities are strongly linked to the movement and supply of materials suspected to be destined for criminal elements operating within forested enclaves and remote locations across the State.
He listed items recovered in connection with the investigation to include a large quantity of assorted cigarette brands and other rations believed to form part of a logistics chain servicing criminal groups.
According to him, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect plays a strategic support role within a broader network responsible for providing sustenance and other forms of assistance to bandits and allied criminal elements.
“During the course of the investigation, photographs recovered from the suspect’s mobile device showed him dressed in military camouflage and seated on a Bajaj motorcycle, further strengthening intelligence leads regarding his suspected association with criminal elements.
“Efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other collaborators connected to the network.
The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, CP Adekimi Ojo, has reassured residents that ongoing security operations across the State are increasingly focused on targeting not only armed criminals but also the logistical structures, collaborators, informants, and suppliers that sustain their activities.
The Command said it remains resolute in denying criminal groups the resources, freedom of movement, and support networks required to operate, while sustaining pressure on all persons involved in aiding criminality in any form.