A medical doctor has been arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly serving as a crucial medical link in a covert supply chain used by kidnapping gangs across the North-Central region.
According to a statement released by the Kwara State Government on Friday, December 5, the doctor was intercepted in Jebba, Moro Local Government Area, after intelligence reportedly placed him at the centre of a network responsible for transporting medical supplies from Sokoto State to armed groups operating in parts of Kwara.
Security officials familiar with the operation described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in uncovering the discreet medical ecosystem that has been sustaining kidnapping syndicates.
The gangs, often injured during shootouts with security forces, are said to rely heavily on trusted couriers to discreetly move drugs, antibiotics, and treatment materials across state lines.
“The Department of State Services has taken into custody a medical doctor who was ferrying drugs from Sokoto to kidnappers in parts of Kwara State,” the government statement said, adding: “The criminal gangs appear desperate for medical care following gunshot wounds sustained in encounters with security forces.”
Investigators believe the suspect had become an essential node in a network designed to keep wounded bandits alive and operational, enabling them to evade detection by avoiding conventional medical facilities.
Security sources added that intelligence reports have recently shown heightened efforts by kidnap gangs to secure private medical support, prompting agencies to intensify surveillance around unusual drug movements, especially across border communities.
The DSS is expected to widen its probe to identify other potential medical collaborators and couriers who may be enabling the region’s kidnap-for-ransom operations.
