A 30-year-old man, identified as Umar Mohammed, has allegedly confessed to abandoning direct involvement in banditry and becoming an arms supplier to his former gang members after losing one of his legs to a gunshot wound in Kwara State.
The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, disclosed this during an interview with Daily Trust, explaining that the suspect was among several individuals recently arrested and paraded over alleged criminal activities in the state.
According to the police commissioner, Mohammed was previously a member of a bandit gang operating in the state before he sustained a gunshot injury in the Obo-Aiyegunle area.
Ojo alleged that members of the gang subsequently arranged for the injured leg to be amputated. Following the amputation, Mohammed reportedly became unable to participate directly in armed operations and allegedly switched to supplying weapons to his former associates.
The commissioner further revealed that investigations showed the suspect allegedly disguised himself as a beggar during the day while continuing to facilitate the movement and supply of firearms for criminal operations.
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“Two AK-47s were recovered from him at the time of his arrest,” Ojo stated.
He warned that criminal networks could exploit public sympathy towards persons living with physical disabilities to evade security checks and facilitate the movement of weapons.
The police chief, however, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities without making assumptions based solely on anyone’s physical condition.
The latest development comes amid other arrests involving suspects accused of serious crimes in Kwara State.
The police had earlier confirmed the arrest of a 52-year-old physically challenged man, identified as Joseph Adeoye, over an alleged illegal firearm transaction.
In another disturbing incident, two brothers, Abu Jimoh and Ayo Jimoh, were arrested over allegations of exhuming graves and removing human heads in Omupo, Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
Reports indicated that about nine graves were affected by the incident, with Commissioner Ojo confirming that one of the arrested brothers was also physically challenged.
The police have continued investigations into the cases as authorities intensify efforts to tackle criminal activities across the state.
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