The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a suspected bandit with alleged links to ISWAP/Lakurawa in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.

The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, who said the suspect was apprehended during a joint patrol operation.

According to the statement, the operation involved police operatives, the National Forest Guards, and members of the Kaiama Vigilante Group.

“On April 1, 2026, at about 0800 hours, a joint patrol team… intercepted and arrested one Mallami Abubakar, a 20-year-old male from Isanlu Dankuturu in Kogi State,” the statement said.

The command disclosed that preliminary investigations indicated the suspect may have been recruited into a criminal network operating within and outside the North-Central region.

“Preliminary investigation… revealed that the suspect had allegedly been contacted… by a friend identified as ‘Babi’… who invited him… with the intention of joining a group believed to be affiliated with ISWAP/Lakurawa,” it added.

The police said the suspect is currently in custody, while further investigations are ongoing to unravel the extent of his involvement and track other members of the network.

The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, reiterated the command’s commitment to maintaining security across the state and urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies.

The arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in parts of Kwara, following recent attacks in Kaiama Local Government Area.