A bandit disguised as a beggar was arrested in Igbaja, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday.

Coordinator of the Joint Security Watch for Kwara South Senatorial District, Olaitan Zubair, confirmed the arrest to journalists on Wednesday 

Mr Zubair noted that the arrested suspect attempted to move freely within communities pretending to be a beggar.

“We got intelligence that bandits from Baba Sango and Oro-Ago are spreading out to other parts of Kwara South,” Mr Zubair said. “One of them disguised as a beggar, was caught in Igbaja yesterday. This is part of a disturbing trend we have noticed.”

He stated that bandits could pretend to be madmen in certain areas, adding that it was a tactic used by them to escape law enforcement.

The arrest came amid bloody terrorist attacks on Kwara communities, especially in Ifelodun, Edu, Patigi and Kaima, where terrorists murdered hundreds of residents, kidnapped several others and destroyed property. 

Meanwhile, the State Security Service alerted the state commissioner of police, Adekimi Ojo, to an alleged imminent terrorist attack by suspected Mamuda terrorists on Gbabe community in the Baruten LGA of the state.

The warning was contained in a letter dated February 5, 2026, with reference number S.122/1/1897 and signed by J.S. Adams for the state director of the service.

The document, which expressed growing security concerns over the build-up of suspected terrorists around the Kainji Lake National Park and nearby communities, warned that the situation posed a serious threat to the safety of residents in the affected communities.

“Report indicates possible threat of attack by armed group, on Gbabe Community, Gwanara District, Baruten Local Government Area (LGA), Kwara State. This stemmed from the build up of armed men suspected to be Mamuda element around Kiyoru Settlement, even as the villagers has expressed hostility display of the elements,” the letter read.

The security agency urged the state police command to take immediate and proactive steps to avert any potential attack on the community and surrounding areas.

“In view of the antecedents of armed groups around Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), there is a need to emplace necessary security measures, to forestall any untoward development,” it noted.

Contacted for comment, the state police spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said she could not immediately confirm the security alert, adding efforts were ongoing to ensure security of lives and property in the state.