The Kwara State Police Command has arrested three women suspected of trying to deliver arms and ammunition to a gang of kidnappers hiding in a forest within the state.

The suspects—identified as Aisha Haruna, Rabi Umaru, and Fatimoh Abubakar—were picked up at Babanla Motor Park after police acted on credible intelligence. According to the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, officers stopped a suspicious vehicle at the park, prompting one of the passengers to flee into nearby bushes.

A search of the vehicle led to a shocking discovery: an AK-47 rifle and 31 rounds of live ammunition hidden inside a bag belonging to one of the women. During questioning, one suspect confessed she had received the weapon from a contact in Kaduna State, known as ‘Mai-Gowaye’, and was told to deliver it to a man named ‘Saleh’ in Baba-Sango forest, an area notorious for kidnap-for-ransom operations.

Another suspect admitted she was on her way to join her husband, a known member of the gang believed to be holed up in the same forest. Meanwhile, the woman who escaped is also suspected to be the wife of a kidnapper, and police say efforts are underway to track her down.

In a related breakthrough, police also arrested two men, Suleiman Jamiu and Mumini Mohammed, in Share, Ifelodun LGA. They were caught with N11.3 million suspected to be ransom money paid to kidnappers.

Commissioner Ojo reassured residents that the police are ramping up operations to dismantle criminal networks and secure all communities across Kwara State.