The Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State has clarified that suspects recently arrested around Akure Airport were not bandits but individuals allegedly supplying logistics to kidnappers.

In a statement on Monday, police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh dismissed an earlier report by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which claimed four bandits were apprehended behind the airport’s perimeter near the Eleyewo community during a coordinated security operation.

According to the police, the report was inaccurate and capable of causing unnecessary panic among residents.
Jimoh explained that the command had received credible intelligence from a concerned citizen about suspected kidnappers operating around the Eleyewo axis of Akure. Acting on the tip-off, security operatives launched a targeted operation that led to the arrest of two suspects believed to be logistics suppliers aiding kidnapping activities in parts of the state.

He added that the suspects had already made confessional statements that were assisting ongoing investigations and efforts to track down other members of the criminal network.

Speaking to journalists in Akure, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, also rejected claims that bandits were arrested at the airport.

Lawal said only two suspects linked to kidnapping logistics were apprehended along the Eleyewo–Ilu-Abo axis, while another suspect arrested in Ilu-Abo was not connected to them. He stressed that none of the arrests took place inside the airport facility.

According to him, the suspects were only taken near the airport area later during investigations as they helped security operatives identify possible hideouts of other members of the criminal group.

The clarification comes amid rising insecurity in parts of Ondo, particularly in communities around Akure North Local Government Area, where residents have recently staged protests over recurring kidnappings and violent attacks.