According to a source familiar with the incident, the suspect was arrested during a routine police patrol while riding a motorcycle and allegedly trying to exit Kwara State.
A member of Miyetti Allah, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, has been arrested by the Nigerian Police in Kwara State after he was allegedly found in possession of a rifle while attempting to flee the state, SaharaReporters has learnt.
According to a source familiar with the incident, the suspect was arrested during a routine police patrol while riding a motorcycle and allegedly trying to exit Kwara State.
He was immediately apprehended, and preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that he is a member of Miyetti Allah and was allegedly employed by the Kwara State Government.
The source disclosed to SaharaReporters that the suspect was subsequently transferred to the Kwara State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where he is currently being detained at the State CID headquarters in Ilorin.
“During the patrol, the police noticed a man on a motorcycle who appeared to be leaving the state. He was stopped and searched, and a rifle was allegedly found in his possession,” the source said.
The source further claimed that the suspect was wearing a black vest at the time of his arrest.
The vest reportedly bears the logo of Miyetti Allah and its vigilante group and was allegedly issued to him by the Kwara State Government.
According to the source, the suspect reportedly confessed during interrogation that the firearm found with him was officially issued to members of the group.
"He confessed that the rifle was given to them by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in collaboration with the Kwara State Government."
It was further gathered that the suspect was allegedly attempting to abscond with the weapon when he was intercepted and arrested by the police.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Government and the Nigerian Police have yet to issue an official statement confirming or denying the claims surrounding the suspect’s alleged employment, the issuance of the vest, or the origin of the firearm.
Meanwhile, the suspect remains in custody at the State CID in Ilorin as investigations continue.
Previously, SaharaReporters reported on October 2, 2025, SaharaReporters published a story highlighting opposition among Kwara State residents to an alleged directive by Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu.
The directive reportedly involved a controversial plan to deploy Fulani herders, locally referred to as Bororos, armed with AK-47 rifles, as part of efforts to combat banditry in the state.
The plan, which was intended to curb escalating attacks in Kwara state, triggered strong opposition from residents and local Fulani leaders, who argued that the strategy could worsen insecurity instead of solving it.
Federal Government Holds Security Meeting in Ilorin.
SaharaReporters also previously reported that the Federal Government, in collaboration with security agencies, recently convened a high-level meeting in Ilorin to address escalating cases of kidnappings, killings, and cattle rustling across Kwara communities.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the meeting brought together local Fulani leaders affiliated with Miyetti Allah, the DSS, and the police.
Several Fulani stakeholders reportedly opposed plans to arm Bororos, migrant herders often linked to violence. They warned that such a move could exacerbate insecurity.
The leaders emphasized the steady influx of herders migrating into Kwara from neighbouring states, many allegedly concealing weapons among their cattle to evade law enforcement.
The meeting reportedly discussed restricting cattle movements, with Fulani leaders suggesting a ban on grazing in Kwara Central after 5 p.m., citing nighttime grazing as a cover for criminal activity.
Sources said the deployment of Bororos in crisis zones, including previous attempts in Kwara South, failed to curb killings and kidnappings.
Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadri, former Seriki Fulani of Igangan, Oyo State, who relocated to Kwara following clashes with Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho in 2021, was cited by sources as highlighting the volatility of migrant Fulani herders.
Abdulkadri, however, denied attending the Ilorin meeting, although he confirmed that some migrant herders had been deployed in Kwara by the NSA, Ribadu.
The discussion also addressed the killings of prominent Fulani leaders, including Alhaji Idris Abubakar Sakaina and Alhaji Dabe, who were reportedly targeted after collaborating with local vigilantes to combat kidnappers.
Residents in Kwara South reportedly remain traumatised, with nearly 16 communities abandoned due to threats from herders and bandits.
Local hunters and community leaders have demanded the evacuation of migrant herders from Kwara South and the arming of indigenous hunters, arguing that locals are better positioned to protect their communities.
They criticized the government for empowering herders allegedly responsible for violence while sidelining indigenous security actors.
However, when contacted by SaharaReporters, the National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Baba Usman-Ngelzarma, dismissed claims that the association or its members had been armed to fight in Kwara.
He described reports of the deployment of armed herders as propaganda and emphasized that Miyetti Allah collaborates with security agencies to promote peace without carrying arms.
Similarly, the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Saleh Alhassan, denied any involvement in arming herders or participating in violence, attributing insecurity in the state to criminal gangs, jihadist groups, and poor governance rather than the herders themselves.
He urged adherence to due process, lawful arrests, and fair trials as the only path to lasting stability.