Men of the Inspector General of Police Special Response Team on Saturday arrested nine suspects from three communities of Kajola, Odo-Owa and Omu-Aran in Oke-Ero and Irepodun local government areas of Kwara state, respectively, over alleged burning of Fulani camps.
Sources said two of the suspects, including a chief, were arrested while sleeping in their homes in Odo-Owa while the remaining seven were arrested in Omu-Aran.
It was learnt that the IRT team stormed the communities on Saturday morning to apprehend the suspects alleged to have participated in the razing of a hotel in Omu-Aran in April belonging to a Fulani man.
It was gathered that the operatives initially went to the house of a TIC member of Oke-Ero who had left the town before they rounded off their targets.
Some youths in Odo-Owa community had mobilized to repel the arrest and mounted a roadblock with about 15 motorcycles when the police team were returning to Ilorin on the express road close to the Police Area Command in Omu-Aran.
It was further learnt that the situation, however, resulted in an exchange of gunfire between the IGP team and the youths during which some of them sustained gunshot wounds.
Six of the youth were arrested while three pistols, six machetes, two axes and two motorcycles were recovered from them.
Sources said on Saturday that the suspects arrested were taken directly to the Police Headquarters in Abuja while youths who escaped with bullet wounds had been taken to traditional home for treatment and removal of bullet pellets.
When contacted, state Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okasanmi, said that he was not aware of the arrest of the suspects.
“I am yet to be briefed, I will enquire and get back to you please,” he said.