A medical doctor has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly transporting medical supplies from Sokoto State to suspected kidnapping gangs operating in Kwara State.

The Kwara State Government confirmed the arrest in a statement shared on its official Facebook page on Friday.

According to the statement, the suspect was intercepted in Jebba, located in Moro Local Government Area, after intelligence linked him to a syndicate responsible for moving medical items to armed groups across the region.

Part of the statement reads, “The Department of State Services has taken into custody a medical doctor who was conveying drugs from Sokoto to kidnappers in parts of Kwara State.

“The doctor was apprehended in the Jebba area following intelligence reports about the activities of kidnappers and their couriers.

“The secret service notes that the criminal gangs are increasingly desperate for medical care, particularly for gunshot wounds sustained during encounters with security forces.”

Security sources stated that the arrest is part of an intensified crackdown aimed at disrupting the logistics networks that support kidnapping cells in the North-Central region.

One of the sources explained that kidnapping gangs have stepped up attempts to access medical treatment, especially for gunshot injuries sustained during clashes with security agents, prompting security operatives to increase surveillance on the movement of medical supplies.

Kwara State, previously regarded as relatively calm within the North-Central zone, has seen a recent spike in insecurity, with incidents reported in Kaiama, Baruten, Ekiti and parts of Moro LGAs.

Border communities have been particularly at risk due to their proximity to vast forested areas often used as hideouts by criminal gangs.