Kwara: Police parade 28 suspected criminals

The Kwara State Police Command on Thursday paraded 28 suspected criminals, including 18 suspected kidnappers, three armed robbery suspects and two ritualists, among others.

Addressing journalists at the police headquarters in Ilorin on the harvest of arrests, the state Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, disclosed that 78 kidnap suspects arrested between October 2023 to date are in custody at various correctional centers across the state.

Victor stated that 18 kidnap suspects out of the 28 suspected criminals were among those paraded on Thursday.

He expressed concern over the menace of kidnapping incidents, asserting that the police will not relent until it is wiped out in the state.

“We’re worried, and that’s why we have been taking steps to ensure we keep them there. Some of the kingpins even have a larger-than-life attitude that nothing can happen to them and that they’ll be released when arrested.”

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The police commissioner blamed the increase in violent crimes on hard drugs, saying, “Criminals don’t do things with clear eyes.”

“Drugs constitute one of the biggest problems we need to contend with. We need to keep drugs out of circulation as much as possible.

“For those who are willing to change, the government has to come in; we need a home for them to keep them out of drugs and the streets for a reasonable time from the substance and the kind of life they live and give them a second chance.”

Victor noted that a technical issue in the prosecution of criminal suspects is one of the challenges that make conviction slow and difficult, adding that victims of violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping do not always come to court to give evidence due to fear for their safety.

Among the 28 suspected criminals paraded were three alleged kidnappers who had N6.4m in their possession, seven assorted mobile phones, and two wristwatches.

Others included nine additional suspected kidnappers, three armed robbery suspects, and two ritualists allegedly caught in possession of human parts.