Police arrest over 2,000 suspects in nationwide crackdown

The Nigeria Police has recorded over 2,300 arrests in various operations conducted across the country from February 2025 to date.

A breakdown of the figure showed that 602 were armed robbery suspects, 385 kidnapping suspects, 557 murder/homicide suspects, 215 individuals involved in unlawful possession of firearms, 286 rape suspects, and 276 suspected cultists.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, the Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said operatives also recovered 333 firearms, 6,422 rounds of ammunition of various calibres and 200 stolen vehicles.

He added that a total of 324 kidnapped victims were rescued during these operations.

Adejobi said, “Focusing on operations conducted from February 2025 to date, the Nigeria Police Force has made substantial progress in combating crime across the nation. Numerous arrests were made in connection with various heinous crimes.

“The Force recorded the arrest of 602 armed robbery suspects, 385 kidnapping suspects, 557 Murder/homicide suspects, 215 suspects connected with the unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, 286 rape suspects, 276 suspected cultists and recovery of 333 various firearms, 6422 ammunition of various calibres. The Force was also able to recover 200 stolen vehicles and rescue 324 victims of kidnapping.

“On display in today’s briefing are several exhibits connected to these crimes, including, 89 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, 6 AK-47 rifles, 1 AK-49 Rifle, 1 Israeli Pump action rifle, 2 pump action rifles, 1 single barrel rifle.”

Highlighting one of the high-profile cases, Adejobi said operatives arrested eight kidnappers at the Kogi-Edo border.

He identified the suspects as—Tukur Salisu, Sani Abubakar, Mamud Sani, Umar Abdullahi, Salisu Mohammed, Salisu Usman, Bashir Audu, and Jibril Haruna.

He said, “On 11/3/2025 at about 1830hrs operatives of IRT en route to Edo state on special duty at Oshara Ganden, a boundary between Kogi and Edo states ran into an ambush by kidnappers.

“The operatives employed their operational prowess to overpower the armed to-the-teeth kidnappers, arrested eight of them and recovered from them 1 AK 47 rifle with 29 rounds of ammunition, 1 new Israeli pump action rifle with four rounds of cartridges, two pump action with seven rounds of cartridges, a single barrel with two cartridges and two operational motorcycles.”