The Oyo State Police Command has recorded a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ahoro-Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area of the state, with the arrest of six suspected informants, couriers and collaborators linked to the kidnapping syndicate.

However, security authorities have confirmed that the principal bandits responsible for carrying out the attack remain at large, continuing to evade security forces operating within the forests surrounding the Old Oyo National Park.

According to official security reports, the suspects were identified and apprehended following extensive telephone surveillance and intelligence gathering that traced communications between the kidnappers and their local collaborators.

Suspects Served as Informants and Logistics Providers

Investigators disclosed that the arrested individuals were not members of the core kidnapping gang but played critical support roles by facilitating communication, movement of funds and logistical operations for the bandits.

Among those arrested are Babangida Buhari Awalu and Kabiru Aliyu, both commercial motorcycle operators popularly known as Okada riders. Security agencies said the duo functioned as couriers for the syndicate and were apprehended in the Ojoo area of Ibadan while allegedly attempting to retrieve ransom proceeds on behalf of the kidnappers.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Adewuyi Sunday, Ayanwola Gbenga, and Rafiu Abdulmajeed, who are believed to have assisted the criminal network by providing logistical support and facilitating financial transactions. The suspects reportedly hail from communities in Gbugbu, Kwara State, and Ago-Are in Oyo State.

Another suspect, Adeleye Ayomide, a university student, was tracked and arrested by military personnel after security operatives allegedly discovered a mobile phone belonging to one of the abducted victims in his possession. Investigators also traced electronic ransom demands sent to parents and guardians of the victims to a device linked to him.

Security agencies have declined to disclose the precise residential addresses of the suspects, citing ongoing investigations, prosecution procedures and security concerns.

Phone Intercepts Expose Local Collaboration

The arrests followed the interception of several telephone conversations made during and after the abduction.

According to the Oyo State Police Command, the intercepted communications revealed how local informants allegedly guided the kidnappers through difficult forest routes and provided real-time intelligence to help them evade military and police operations within the expansive Old Oyo National Park.

Security sources disclosed that some of the conversations contained detailed directions on movement routes, security checkpoints and escape paths, highlighting the level of collaboration between the forest-based bandits and their local accomplices.

Bandits Exploit Technology to Avoid Detection

Despite the breakthroughs, authorities acknowledged that tracking the core members of the kidnapping gang has proven difficult.

Officials from the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy explained that the criminals have adopted sophisticated communication methods designed to defeat conventional tracking systems.

Although Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM linkage policy was introduced to improve traceability and curb criminal activities, investigators said the kidnappers deploy advanced call-routing techniques and portable network-masking devices that reroute communications through multiple remote telecommunications towers.

The technology effectively conceals their actual locations and makes it difficult for security agencies to pinpoint their exact coordinates during operations.

Security experts say the growing use of such tools by criminal networks presents a new challenge for law enforcement agencies battling kidnapping, terrorism and organized crime across the country.

Ransom Funds Traced Through Banking Channels

Investigators also uncovered a financial network allegedly used by the kidnappers to receive, distribute and conceal ransom payments.

Security reports indicate that ransom proceeds and electronic extortion payments linked to communications traced to Adeleye Ayomide were routed through an account with Wema Bank.

Authorities further discovered that funds were transferred through accounts belonging to Adewuyi Sunday, Ayanwola Gbenga and Rafiu Abdulmajeed. These accounts allegedly served as temporary collection and distribution channels before cash was delivered to bandits operating within the forest.

The financial trail is now being examined by investigators seeking to identify additional members of the criminal network and establish the full scope of the syndicate’s operations.

CBN, Anti-Graft Agencies Freeze Accounts

As part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the network, the affected accounts have reportedly been flagged and frozen by financial regulators and anti-corruption agencies.

Investigators are analysing transaction records to determine the movement of ransom funds, identify additional beneficiaries and uncover any wider criminal connections.

Security officials expressed optimism that the financial intelligence obtained from the frozen accounts could lead to further arrests and eventually expose the leadership structure of the kidnapping syndicate.

Search for Main Kidnappers Continues

While authorities describe the arrests as a major breakthrough, they stress that the operation remains ongoing.

Security forces continue to conduct coordinated ground and intelligence-led operations in forest corridors around Old Oyo National Park in an effort to locate and apprehend the principal kidnappers.

Officials maintain that the dismantling of the syndicate’s support network is expected to weaken the group’s operational capacity and improve the chances of capturing the armed bandits who orchestrated the school abduction.

The Ahoro-Esiele school kidnapping sparked widespread concern across Oyo State and renewed calls for stronger security measures to protect schools and rural communities from increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.

The United Nations has revealed that weapons looted during the 2011 Libyan conflict eventually found their way into the hands of terrorist and extremist groups operating in Nigeria and other countries across the Sahel region, highlighting the long-term security consequences of uncontrolled arms proliferation following armed conflicts.

The disclosure was made by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, during a high-level discussion at the UN Headquarters in New York on the global spread of illicit firearms and their impact on international peace and security.

Nakamitsu warned that the diversion, theft and illegal circulation of weapons from conflict zones continue to fuel violence, terrorism and organised crime long after wars have ended, posing significant challenges to governments and international peacebuilding efforts.

According to her, the 2011 uprising in Libya, which culminated in the overthrow and death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, triggered the widespread looting of military stockpiles. Many of those weapons subsequently spread across the Sahel region, reaching countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

“Libya, where weapons looted or diverted during and after the 2011 conflict, which ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, later surfaced across the wider Sahel region, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria,” Nakamitsu stated.

She explained that investigations and recovery efforts over the years showed that some of the weapons were eventually traced to extremist groups operating in the region, demonstrating how arms originating from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries for years.

“Some were subsequently found in the hands of extremist groups, illustrating how arms from one conflict can destabilise neighbouring countries years later,” she said.

“The end of the conflict does not mean the end of the circulation of those weapons; it stays, and it continues to harm people.”

Growing Threat to Regional Security

The UN disarmament chief stressed that the continued movement of illicit firearms remains one of the most serious threats to peace and stability in fragile states and conflict-affected regions.

She noted that weapons retained by armed groups, militias and local communities after conflicts often become instruments for renewed violence, criminal activity and insurgency.

According to Nakamitsu, the availability of illegal weapons has contributed significantly to the activities of terrorist organisations, bandit groups and transnational criminal networks operating across the Sahel and West Africa.

The region has witnessed increasing insecurity over the past decade, with extremist groups exploiting porous borders and weak governance structures to move weapons, fighters and resources across countries.

Beyond Security Concerns

Nakamitsu emphasised that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is not merely a military or security issue but one with far-reaching humanitarian and developmental consequences.

She said the widespread availability of illicit firearms is closely linked to terrorism, human rights abuses, organised crime, forced displacement, gender-based violence and the erosion of state authority.

“It is not just a security issue. It is also about peacebuilding. It is about human rights. It is also about development,” she said.

The UN official argued that efforts to tackle illicit arms trafficking must therefore form part of broader strategies aimed at promoting peace, protecting human rights and fostering sustainable development.

Weapons Continue to Circulate After Wars

Highlighting a major challenge facing governments and international organisations, Nakamitsu noted that weapons used during conflicts frequently remain outside official control after hostilities end.

She explained that many firearms are hidden, sold on black markets or smuggled across borders, making them available for use in new conflicts and criminal enterprises.

“Wars end, but unfortunately, the weapons that are used in that particular conflict would not be under full control,” she said.

“They continue to circulate. They are sometimes hidden. They are brought across borders.”

Security analysts have long linked the influx of weapons from post-Gaddafi Libya to the rise in armed insurgencies, terrorism and banditry across the Sahel. The collapse of state institutions in Libya created vast ungoverned spaces that became major transit routes for arms trafficking networks.

Emerging Challenges in Arms Trafficking

Nakamitsu also warned that technological advancements are creating new challenges for law enforcement agencies seeking to combat illicit arms trafficking.

She pointed to the growing emergence of so-called “ghost guns,” 3D-printed firearms and sophisticated smuggling methods that make tracing illegal weapons increasingly difficult.

According to her, traffickers are now able to disassemble firearms into separate components, transport them across borders and reassemble them later, complicating efforts to identify their origins and track their movement.

“Those weapons or weapon parts, if they are disassembled and then trafficked, are more difficult to trace,” she said.

UN Calls for Stronger International Action

The United Nations has repeatedly raised concerns over the unchecked proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Sahel region, warning that the trend continues to fuel terrorism, armed conflict, organised crime and political instability.

The organisation has consistently urged governments to strengthen border controls, improve weapons stockpile management, enhance intelligence-sharing and deepen regional cooperation to curb illicit arms flows.

Nakamitsu reiterated the need for coordinated international action to prevent weapons from conflict zones from entering illegal markets and falling into the hands of non-state actors.

Her remarks underscore growing global concerns that unresolved conflicts and weak post-war disarmament measures can have lasting consequences, allowing weapons to circulate for years and threaten peace and security far beyond the original battlefield.

ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government says significant progress has been made toward the establishment of state police across Nigeria, with a constitutional amendment expected in the near future following months of consultations involving the Presidency, the National Assembly, and key security stakeholders.

The development was disclosed on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, after a high-level consultative meeting on state policing convened by the Presidency at the State House in Abuja.

Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting, Gbajabiamila revealed that deliberations on the proposed framework commenced several months ago on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have since recorded substantial progress.

According to him, while there is broad consensus on the necessity of state police, the process requires extensive constitutional and legal considerations before implementation can commence.

“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President,” Gbajabiamila said.

“Establishing state police is not something that you do with the snap of the fingers. There is a lot involved in terms of constitutional provisions and legalities, and thank God we have now gained a lot of traction.”

He expressed optimism that the constitutional amendment required to create the legal foundation for state police would soon be presented, while further details regarding the proposed framework would be unveiled afterward.

Constitutional Amendment Takes Centre Stage

The Chief of Staff explained that current discussions are focused primarily on amending relevant sections of the Constitution to accommodate a decentralized policing structure. Once the constitutional amendments are secured, enabling legislation would then be introduced to provide operational guidelines for the new security arrangement.

“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter. That is what we have been deliberating on in the last couple of hours,” he stated.

The move marks one of the most significant security reform initiatives being pursued by the Tinubu administration since assuming office, as the government seeks innovative solutions to Nigeria’s growing security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, communal violence, terrorism, and other forms of criminality.

National Consensus Emerging

Gbajabiamila noted that discussions have evolved beyond the question of whether Nigeria should establish state police. Instead, stakeholders are now concentrating on designing a framework that would ensure effectiveness, accountability, and constitutional compliance.

He emphasized that there appears to be widespread support across political and institutional lines for the initiative, reflecting a growing national consensus that a centralized policing structure alone may no longer be sufficient to address the country’s complex security realities.

According to him, President Tinubu, a longstanding advocate of state policing, will receive a comprehensive report detailing the outcome of the consultations and recommendations arising from the meeting.

Tinubu’s Push for Decentralized Security

For several months, President Tinubu has consistently argued that state police represents a necessary and practical response to Nigeria’s evolving security environment.

The President has maintained that empowering sub-national governments with policing responsibilities would strengthen grassroots security operations, improve intelligence gathering at the community level, and enhance the protection of lives and property across the federation.

Supporters of the initiative argue that state-controlled police forces would be more familiar with local terrains, cultures, and security dynamics, thereby enabling quicker responses to emerging threats and criminal activities.

High-Level Participation

The consultative meeting brought together senior government officials and security leaders, underscoring the importance attached to the reform.

Among those in attendance were the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, alongside other top government officials and security stakeholders.

The meeting forms part of a series of consultations being undertaken by the Federal Government to develop a workable and sustainable framework for state police, a reform widely regarded as a major step toward restructuring Nigeria’s internal security architecture and enhancing the capacity of states to tackle security challenges within their jurisdictions.

If successfully implemented, the creation of state police would represent one of the most far-reaching constitutional and security reforms in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.