Operatives of the Department of State Services have apprehended a medical doctor over allegations that he was moving medical supplies from Sokoto State to suspected kidnap gangs operating in Kwara.
The Kwara State Government announced the development on Friday through a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
According to the report, the suspect was stopped in Jebba, located in Moro Local Government Area, after intelligence allegedly linked him to a network that delivers medical materials to armed groups in the region.
“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 statement noted.
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It added that “the doctor was intercepted in the Jebba area following intelligence reports about the activities of the kidnappers and their couriers,” further revealing that “the secret service says the criminal gangs appear desperate for medical care following gunshot wounds sustained in encounters with security forces.”
Security operatives who spoke with PUNCH Online explained that the arrest is part of a wider push to dismantle the supply chains that keep kidnapping groups active across the North-Central. One of the sources disclosed that many of these gangs have recently intensified their attempts to obtain treatment—especially for gunshot injuries suffered during confrontations with security agencies—prompting authorities to increase surveillance on the movement of medical items.
Kwara, once regarded as one of the relatively peaceful states in the North-Central zone, has faced rising security concerns in areas such as Kaiama, Baruten, Ekiti and sections of Moro LGA. Communities along the borders have become hotspots due to their proximity to vast forested areas used as hideouts by criminal groups.