A former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Mashood Bakare, has called on the Federal Government to investigate allegations that the Kwara State Government supplied arms and ammunition to bandits operating in parts of the state.
Bakare made the call on Sunday in Ilorin while addressing journalists, following claims by suspected bandits arrested by the military that they were sponsored by the state government.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, dismissed the allegations as sheer disinformation.
A one-minute-thirty-six-second viral video circulating on social media shows soldiers interrogating suspected bandits allegedly found with AK-47 rifles in a local security patrol vehicle bearing the inscription of Ifelodun Local Government Area.
Reacting to the claims, Bakare described the allegations as disturbing, noting that government has a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property. He lamented the worsening security situation in Ifelodun Local Government Area, where repeated attacks have displaced communities and disrupted farming activities.
The former lawmaker called for a transparent investigation and urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies.
Responding, Ajakaye said the suspects were arrested in Auchi, Edo State, and not in Ifelodun, Kwara State, adding that the local government had already clarified issues surrounding the patrol vehicle.
Also reacting, the Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Hadji Femi Yusuf, confirmed that the security vehicle had earlier been provided as logistical support to vigilante operatives and was later recovered in Auchi by the Nigerian Army.
He commended the military and security agencies for their swift intervention and ongoing efforts to restore peace in the area.
