Armed Miyetti Allah Member Nabbed With NSA-Linked Rifle as Insecurity Deepens in Kwara - The Yoruba Times

A member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association has been arrested in Kwara State after he was allegedly found in possession of a rifle reportedly issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for security operations in the state.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the suspect was apprehended in a community in Kwara South, an area that has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks, kidnappings and other violent crimes in recent months. According to residents, the man was seen moving around the community with the rifle, raising suspicion before he was apprehended and handed over to operatives of the Nigeria Police Force for investigation.

A source said the rifle was allegedly issued to members of Miyetti Allah under a security arrangement meant to secure parts of Kwara State, particularly Kwara South. A photograph shared with SaharaReporters shows the suspect, identified as a Miyetti Allah member, allegedly concealing the rifle inside his jacket. The arrest has further heightened concerns among residents over the proliferation of arms and the involvement of non-state actors in security operations across the state.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the arrest or clarified the circumstances under which the rifle was issued. Residents of Kwara South have continued to question the effectiveness of existing security measures, citing repeated attacks and abductions in rural communities.

The development follows earlier reports by SaharaReporters that the Kwara State Government confirmed that armed men recently intercepted by soldiers, initially believed to be bandits, were members of Miyetti Allah participating in a federal security operation coordinated through the NSA’s office.

Public outrage had followed a viral video showing armed individuals carrying AK-47 rifles in a security vehicle marked with a local government logo in Ifelodun Local Government Area, with the suspects claiming they were sponsored by the “Ilorin government.”

Speaking on Informant247, Ibrahim Abdulateef, Senior Special Assistant on Communication to the Kwara State Governor, confirmed that the arrested individuals were Miyetti Allah members incorporated into a joint security arrangement after the September 29 attacks in Ifelodun Local Government Area. He said the operation involved recognised security personnel alongside local vigilantes and Miyetti Allah members, coordinated by the NSA’s office.

According to him, a patrol vehicle was provided through the local government chairman, but the men later absconded with the vehicle after completing their assignment and were subsequently arrested in Auchi, Edo State.

Abdulateef added that the armed individuals originated from Ifelodun Local Government and were neither Yoruba nor apprehended within Kwara State during the later interception. He said the state government had formally requested the return of its patrol vehicle.

Meanwhile, Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, clarified that one of the individuals named in earlier confessions, identified as Victor, is not an officer of the Department of State Services or the Nigerian Air Force, but a police sergeant attached to the NSA’s office. He disclosed that Victor and the vigilante operatives have since left Kwara State in line with the position of affected communities, a decision the government said it respected.

The state government has urged calm and cautioned against sensational reporting of sensitive security matters, describing the situation as a delicate balance between accountability and national security. It called on political leaders and community stakeholders to act with restraint amid rising tensions, stressing the need for careful leadership during what it described as a period of national security emergency.

Source: Original Article