By Aypmide Otitoju
The Nigeria Police Force has recorded major breakthroughs in its ongoing nationwide clampdown on violent crime, with coordinated operations in Katsina and Delta States resulting in the rescue of kidnapped victims, the neutralisation of suspected criminals, and the recovery of illegal arms and ammunition.
In Katsina State, security operatives thwarted a kidnap attempt on June 8, 2025, along the Danmusa–Mara Dangeza village road in Danmusa Local Government Area. A joint task force comprising police officers and sister security agencies engaged a group of armed bandits in a fierce gunfight, successfully overpowering the attackers and rescuing 11 kidnap victims unhurt. The assailants fled into the bush with gunshot wounds.
In Delta State, police operatives from the CP-Special Assignment Team arrested a suspected leader of a cross-border kidnapping syndicate. The suspect, 30-year-old Abubakar Hassan, was apprehended following credible intelligence. During interrogation, he confessed to orchestrating multiple abductions across Delta, Rivers, Imo, and Enugu States. He later led investigators to a hideout in the Ozoro forest, where two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and 32 rounds of live ammunition were recovered.
The arrest is linked to earlier apprehensions of three other members of the same gang.
In a separate operation, officers with the Safer Highway Patrol intercepted a vehicle during a routine stop-and-search on Ughelli Road. A locally fabricated revolver, a pump-action single-barrel rifle, and 15 live cartridges were found concealed in the vehicle. The driver, identified as Obi Ezekiel, 38, was taken into custody.
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, commended the operatives for their bravery and professionalism. He urged all commands nationwide to sustain the momentum in the battle against violent crime.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains unwavering in its mission to ensure that no part of our country serves as a safe haven for criminals,” the IGP stated.
