Police in Kwara State have rescued a 26-year-old kidnapped woman, Shekinat Mukaila, and arrested a suspected collaborator with the criminal gang that kidnapped her during an attack on Wande Community in the state’s Ora Kingdom of Ifelodun Local Government Area.
The rescue was part of a series of intelligence-led operations launched on Friday by Ojo Adekimi, the state commissioner of police in Ilorin.
According to the police commissioner, the girl was kidnapped on July 15 when armed hoodlums stormed the community, and her father, the Baale of Wande, was shot while attempting to oppose the intruders.
Adekimi said, “On 15th July, 2026, the Kwara State Police Command received a distress report of a kidnapping incident at Wande Community under Ora Kingdom, where armed hoodlums abducted Miss Shekinat Mukaila, aged 26 years.
“During the attack, her father, the Baale of the community, sustained gunshot injuries while attempting to resist the assailants.”
According to him, after receiving the distress report, the command promptly engaged its tactical and intelligence capabilities, sending operatives to the community to secure the area, retrieve vital exhibits, and launch a thorough investigation.
He stated that the injured traditional ruler was transported to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for treatment and has since been released.
“Upon receipt of the report, the command immediately activated its tactical and intelligence assets. Operatives were swiftly deployed to the scene, where the area was secured, critical exhibits were recovered, and a comprehensive intelligence-led investigation was immediately launched.
“The investigation yielded significant breakthroughs with the arrest of Aliyu Mohammed, who is alleged to have facilitated the activities of the kidnappers. In addition, investigators successfully identified and analysed the communication channels used by the criminal syndicate during ransom negotiations,” Adekimi said.
He stated that the investigation’s intelligence enabled security personnel to strengthen targeted actions, resulting in the successful rescue of the abducted woman without injury, while attempts were still underway to catch other members of the syndicate who remained at large.
“These coordinated intelligence-driven efforts culminated in the successful rescue of the kidnapped victim unhurt, while sustained operations are ongoing to apprehend the remaining fleeing members of the syndicate,” the police commissioner added.
Adekimi stated that the rescue demonstrated the command’s dedication to intelligence-led policing and urged locals to continue providing timely and credible information to security services, emphasising that public collaboration was vital to maintaining the fight against crime across the state.
