A man in his early twenties, arrested in Ilorin on Friday evening, has admitted receiving a ₦10 million pay-off for abducting children, the Kwara State Police Command says.
Local residents intercepted the suspect near the city centre after he allegedly tried to lure a youngster away. A crowd began to beat him before a police-vigilante patrol intervened and took him into custody.
In a phone-video of the roadside questioning—now circulating online—the visibly shaken suspect confesses that child snatching “has become routine” for his gang.
“I no fit count am again—we don do am many times. Our oga dey Dagbolu for Osogbo side. Na him dey send us money; he don give me ₦10 million before,” he says in Yoruba.
According to the suspect, the syndicate operates across several states, using Ilorin as a hub. Children are allegedly moved out of Kwara within hours to avoid detection. He also named other purported accomplices.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed the arrest on Saturday:
“He was rescued from mob action during a routine patrol and is now undergoing intense interrogation.”
The PPRO urged residents to refrain from jungle justice:
“Taking the law into your own hands hinders investigations and can lead to fatal errors. Please report suspicious activity immediately.”
She added that investigators are working to verify the suspect’s claim of a wider network based in Osun State, but no formal complainant has yet come forward.
“The command is actively following leads to determine the full scope of this operation. Further updates will be released as the investigation progresses,” SP Ejire-Adeyemi said.
