Security Operatives Arrest Suspected Bandits near Akure Airport
Suspected bandits were arrested in a joint security operation around Akure Airport on Saturday, triggering panic among airport users, residents and farmers in nearby communities.
The incident began after farmers raised an alarm on sighting strange men riding motorcycles behind the airport’s operational fence near the Eleyewo community in Akure. Witnesses said tension rose when a woman and several young men ran from their farms towards the edge of the runway, shouting for help after reportedly spotting armed men approaching.
Airport sources said the farmers initially feared an attack before security operatives moved in and intercepted the suspects in what turned out to be a planned security ambush. The suspects, who had reportedly been tracked by security personnel, were surrounded and arrested after a brief pursuit around the airport environment.
Security agencies had earlier received reports of suspicious individuals moving behind the airport towards the Eleyewo axis, prompting a rapid response involving officers of the Aviation Environment Command, personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.
Confirming the incident, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, said the operation was carried out through coordinated efforts among several security bodies.
“We alerted the CP, the brigadier general of the army cantonment and the MAC, and their personnel worked together with AVSEC. The joint operation was successful and four suspects were apprehended and handed over to the police,” she said.
The Ondo State Police Command also confirmed the arrests. Police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh said two additional suspects linked to a kidnapping syndicate operating around Ilu-Abo community were arrested during ongoing security operations.
He identified them as Alhassan Muhammad, 20, and Faruq Muhammad Sanni, 25, both residents of Sabon-Sango in Akure. According to him, intelligence from a community member revealed that one of the suspects, a commercial motorcyclist, had been assisting kidnappers by supplying food and other items to their hideouts.
Police operatives from the anti-kidnapping squad launched a targeted operation that led to their arrest, while other members of the gang fled on sighting the approaching officers.
Authorities said the suspects are currently in custody and assisting with further investigations.
Communities around Eleyewo and other parts of Akure North Local Government Area have recently experienced a series of kidnappings. Several residents, including a pregnant woman, were abducted earlier this year in Eleyewo, Ilu-Abo and Ayede communities but were later released after ransom payments. Another attack occurred last week when three people, including Joseph Aladesuyi, secretary of Okeluju Local Council Development Area in Akoko North-West, were kidnapped on a farm near the airport.
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