The Nigeria Police Force has made significant strides in its fight against crime, arresting 96 suspects and rescuing 42 kidnapped victims in operations conducted across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory between September 26 and October 2, 2026. According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Ineidu, the operations were conducted under the strategic leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
The operations, which were intelligence-led and community-based, resulted in the recovery of 16 firearms, 31 rounds of live ammunition, and 16 vehicles. Two armed suspects were killed during the operations, while the 96 suspects arrested were in connection with various offences, including kidnapping, armed robbery, homicide, banditry, cultism, terrorism, cattle rustling, and other criminal activities.
In Sokoto State, police operatives, tactical teams, and personnel of the Nigerian Army foiled a bandit attack and rescued 30 kidnapped victims. The bandits had blocked Katuru Village Junction and attacked vehicles conveying passengers returning from the weekly market at Tidibale Village before abducting them. The security operatives engaged the attackers in a gun duel, forcing them to flee into a nearby forest and abandon their victims.
The police also made significant arrests and rescued kidnapped victims in other states. In Rivers State, police operatives attached to the Eliozu Division intercepted a suspected kidnap gang following a high-speed chase towards Rumuokoro, rescuing a kidnapped victim and arresting one suspect. In Gombe State, a joint operation by the police, military, Department of State Services, hunters, and vigilantes led to the arrest of four suspects and the rescue of two kidnapped victims.
In Kogi State, joint security forces rescued a telecoms worker who had been abducted by armed kidnappers dressed in military camouflage. The victim was part of a telecoms mast maintenance team abducted in the Kabba area. Four members of the team had escaped, while the rescued worker remained in captivity until the security forces sustained bush-combing and rescue operations.
The police also made significant arrests in other states, including Ondo State, where operatives arrested two suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate in Akure. In Delta State, police operatives rescued a 23-year-old woman who had been abducted and held for ransom. In Anambra State, 13 suspected cultists were arrested during a joint operation by the police and Agunechemba vigilante operatives in Okpoko.
The Nigeria Police Force has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening intelligence-led policing, strengthening collaboration with communities and other security agencies, and sustaining operational pressure against criminal networks. The Force will continue to protect lives and property, respond to threats to public safety, and bring criminal suspects to justice.
Key points
- 96 suspects arrested in connection with various offences
- 42 kidnapped victims rescued across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
- 16 firearms and 31 rounds of live ammunition recovered during operations
