‘They’re kidnappers’ logistics suppliers, not bandits’ — police counter FAAN over Akure airport arrests

The Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State has disputed a report by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that four bandits were arrested at the airport in Akure, saying those detained were logistics suppliers linked to kidnapping operations.

In a statement on Monday, police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh said the command acted on intelligence from a concerned resident about suspected kidnappers operating around the Eleyewo area of Akure. According to him, a targeted operation led to the arrest of two suspects believed to be supplying materials and support to kidnapping gangs.

Jimoh said preliminary investigations showed the suspects had made confessional statements that are aiding efforts to track down other members of the criminal network.

He urged the public to disregard reports suggesting that bandits were arrested at the airport, describing the claims as inaccurate and capable of causing unnecessary panic.

FAAN had earlier announced that four suspected bandits were apprehended behind the airport perimeter near the Eleyewo community during a joint security operation involving aviation and local security personnel. The agency said the suspects were seen attempting to flee and were later handed over to the police for interrogation.

However, the Ondo police command insisted that the arrests did not occur inside the airport facility and that there was no security breach at the airport.

Speaking with journalists in Akure, the state commissioner of police, Adebowale Lawal, said only two suspects connected to kidnapping logistics were arrested along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis. He added that another suspect detained in Ilu-Abo was not linked to the first two.

Lawal also rejected the description of the suspects as bandits.

“We don’t have bandits in Ondo State. We have criminals, not bandits,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the suspects were later taken near the airport area during investigations to help security operatives locate other members of the network, which may have led to confusion about the arrest location.

The development comes amid growing security concerns in Ondo. Since the beginning of the year, several communities in the state have reported killings and kidnappings.

Earlier this month, residents of Ayede Ogbese in Akure North local government blocked the Akure–Owo–Benin highway to protest repeated attacks in the area. Days later, residents of Ilu-Abo and nearby communities also barricaded the Akure–Owo expressway over rising abductions.