The Arewa Youths for Peace and Security has commended the outgoing Commanding Officer of the 221 Battalion, Kainji, over what it described as a timely intervention that led to the release of a wrongly arrested suspect.
The group said the suspect, Prince Haliru Dantsoho Mahmud, a former Special Adviser on Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs in Kwara State, was mistakenly detained due to the resemblance of his Hummer jeep to that of a detained Mahmuda terror group leader.
In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Comrade Salihu Dantata Mahmud, the group explained that Prince Haliru, who is also an All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant for the 2027 election in Kwara State, was flagged down and arrested by an army intelligence officer attached to the battalion.
The statement noted that the arrest was based solely on an initial suspicion, which later turned out to be false, leading to Prince Haliru’s detention.
According to the group, the situation was resolved after a concerned youth alerted the Commanding Officer, who promptly ordered the release of the suspect after proper clarification.
The Arewa youths, however, warned that the incident was not isolated, claiming that several innocent persons were still being held at the facility.
While expressing support for the military’s ongoing operations against armed banditry, the group stressed the need for caution and thorough investigation before arrests are made.
It called on the Chief of Army Staff to order a comprehensive review of all detained suspects in the facility, insisting that not everyone in custody was guilty.
The group praised the outgoing Commanding Officer for his discretion and urged other officers to emulate his approach, noting that the situation could have degenerated if not for his swift intervention.
It further advised intelligence officers to exercise restraint and avoid rushing to conclusions in the discharge of their duties.
