Olayiwola Matthew
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a medical doctor suspected of transporting medical supplies from Sokoto State to alleged kidnapping gangs operating in Kwara State.
The Kwara State Government announced the arrest in a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Friday.
The suspect was reportedly intercepted in Jebba, Moro Local Government Area, following intelligence that linked him to a syndicate supplying medical items to armed groups in the region.
The statement read, “The Department of State Service has taken into custody a medical doctor who was ferrying drugs from Sokoto to kidnappers in parts of Kwara State.
“The doctor was intercepted in the Jebba area following intelligence reports about the activities of the kidnappers and their couriers. The secret service says the criminal gangs appear desperate for medical care following gunshot wounds sustained in encounters with security forces.”
Security sources said that the arrest forms part of an intensified operation aimed at disrupting the logistics networks sustaining kidnapping cells in the North-Central zone.
One of the sources said kidnapping gangs have recently increased efforts to secure medical treatment—particularly for gunshot wounds sustained during clashes with security operatives—forcing security agencies to heighten surveillance around the movement of medical supplies.
Kwara, previously seen as one of the calmer states in the North-Central region, has witnessed a rise in insecurity in recent months, with incidents recorded in Kaiama, Baruten, Ekiti and parts of Moro LGAs.
Border communities have been particularly vulnerable due to their closeness to expansive forests serving as hideouts for criminal gangs.