A covert operation by the Department of State Services has led to the arrest of a medical doctor accused of transporting drugs from Sokoto State to support kidnapping syndicates operating in parts of Kwara.

Security insiders told reporters that the suspect was intercepted around Jebba in Moro Local Government Area after intelligence revealed that some kidnapping gangs had become increasingly reliant on discreet medical assistance, especially after suffering gunshot wounds in recent clashes with security forces.

“The gangs are getting desperate,” one security source said. “Several of them have been hit during recent operations, and they are now seeking medical help anywhere they can find it. That is how this doctor entered the picture.”

The arrest comes on the heels of intensified military operations against criminal elements infiltrating Kwara from neighbouring states, where troops have reportedly mounted sustained pressure on bandit hideouts.

Authorities are urging health workers and facilities located near forest belts to remain vigilant. “We advise improved security measures in health facilities sited close to isolated or thickly forested areas because kidnappers may attempt to access them for treatment,” another official warned.

Security agencies maintain that the crackdown will continue until the networks aiding kidnappers in the state are fully dismantled.