In a continued crackdown on kidnapping and arms trafficking, the Nigeria Police Force has apprehended 12 suspected kidnappers during a string of well-coordinated operations carried out across several states.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the recent clampdown on criminal elements was largely made possible through credible intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration.
On April 25, 2025, a joint operation involving the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad, the Taraba State Police Command, local hunters, and vigilantes led to the arrest of four suspected kidnappers in Mararaban Abbare, Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The suspects, Shehu Ibrahim, Abdullahi Haruna, Yusuf Bello, and Mohammed Bako, were apprehended as they allegedly plotted a kidnapping mission.
They were reportedly caught with a cache of weapons including two AK-49 rifles, one AK-47 rifle, six magazines, and 45 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
“Prior to this arrest, the operatives had earlier received intelligence on a group of kidnapping gang terrorizing Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi, and Kaduna States.
“A successful raid conducted at the hideout of this gang led to the arrest of five suspected kidnappers,” the statement added.
The individuals arrested during that earlier raid were identified as Sulaiman Mohammed, Tijjani Bello, Muhammed Umar, Adamu Ibrahim, Solomon Nathaniel, and Haruna Adamu. Police also recovered three AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, and four AK-47 magazines during the operation.
Meanwhile, on April 17, 2025, officers of the Kaduna State Police Command, acting on actionable intelligence, apprehended one Isa Ibrahim, a suspect who confessed to migrating to Kaduna with the intent of forming a new kidnapping syndicate after the arrest of his former allies in Kwara State.
That same day, a patrol team was deployed to Lamido village in Lere LGA, where two more suspects, Sani Liman and Murtala Magaji, were arrested.
“Both suspects confessed to involvement in kidnapping activities in the area,” the police disclosed.
Further crackdowns on April 18, 2025, led to the arrest of two suspected gun runners, Bajo Badun and Magaji Abdullahi, who were reportedly found with two fabricated AK-47 rifles.
Another suspect, Ishiyaku Ali, was nabbed along the Kauru-Pambegua Road with two locally-made rifles and a long metal chain hidden in a sack.
Adejobi confirmed that all suspects are currently under investigation and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the process.
