“I’ve Lost Count of Children We Abducted for Rituals” – Suspect Confesses in Kwara

A disturbing confession has emerged from Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, where a young man suspected of being part of a ritual kidnapping syndicate admitted to abducting numerous children alongside his gang. The suspect, believed to be in his early 20s, was intercepted by community members on Friday evening after allegedly attempting to lure a child away.

Eyewitnesses say the suspect was being beaten by an angry mob before a police patrol team arrived and rescued him. In a video that has since gone viral, the visibly injured suspect admitted during an on-the-spot interrogation that his group had carried out multiple abductions.

“I don’t know the number again… We’ve done it many times,” he said in Pidgin English, adding that their operations are coordinated by a leader based in Dagbolu, Osun State. According to him, the leader had sent him over N10 million and Ilorin served as a key base for targeting children, who were quickly moved out of Kwara to avoid detection.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the Kwara State Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Saturday. She said the suspect was apprehended during a routine patrol by a joint team of police officers and local vigilantes, who intervened just in time to prevent lynching.

SP Ejire-Adeyemi urged residents to avoid jungle justice and to report suspicious activities directly to law enforcement. She noted that while the suspect claimed ties to a larger criminal network operating from Osun State, investigators are still working to verify those claims. No formal complainant has yet stepped forward.

“The Command is actively following leads to uncover the full extent of the alleged network. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” she said.