Kwara Security Forces Kill Suspected Bandit in Hilltop Shootout Near Bode-Saadu

A coordinated operation by police operatives and local vigilantes in Kwara State has resulted in the killing of a suspected bandit following a fierce gun battle on a hilltop near Bode-Saadu in Moro Local Government Area.

The confrontation took place during a security sweep at Adekanbi Village, where intelligence reports had indicated that armed bandits were occupying a fortified position overlooking the community.

Kwara Police spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said on Friday that the team came under heavy fire shortly after approaching the hideout, prompting what she described as a “swift and superior” counter-response.

“The overwhelming response forced the criminals to flee their position, some of them with suspected gunshot injuries,” she said.

A post-operation search recovered the body of one neutralised suspect, an AK-49 rifle, and 32 rounds of live ammunition.

Ejire-Adeyemi noted that the mission forms part of an expanded crackdown on armed groups across the state, driven by Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo and aligned with the national security agenda of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

She said the operation underscores the command’s “enhanced kinetic capability” and evolving rapid-response strategies designed to dismantle criminal networks in rural flashpoints.

The police command assured residents that similar operations would continue statewide to maintain security and deter further bandit activity.