Police Rescue 302 Kidnapped Victims, Recover 73 Firearms in Recent Security Operations
The Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of 725 suspects involved in various criminal activities over a three-week period. The arrests were made for offenses including armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, unlawful possession of firearms, rape, cultism, and other crimes.
During a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the police national spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, provided details of the arrests and highlighted the successful outcomes of recent operations. Of the 725 suspects, 179 were arrested for armed robbery, 100 for kidnapping, 152 for murder or homicide, 34 for unlawful possession of firearms, 77 for rape, and 110 for cultism.
The police also recovered 73 firearms, 310 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, and 56 stolen vehicles. In addition, 302 kidnapped victims were rescued during the operations.
Adejobi showcased items seized by the Intelligence Response Team, including 13 suspects, 61 AK-47 rifles, four single-barrel rifles, 702 rounds of ammunition, and a variety of illicit drugs, including suspected Indian hemp, codeine, and forged documents.
He noted that all the suspects had confessed to their involvement in the crimes and assisted in gathering further information to help capture other criminals.
Among the arrests, three suspects were detained on January 16 for wearing military uniforms and engaging in criminal conspiracy, fraud, and impersonation. These individuals were apprehended after credible intelligence revealed that they were using fake alerts to purchase medical equipment and phones. One of the suspects, who posed as a captain in the Nigerian Army, admitted to purchasing medical equipment worth N3 million using fake alerts and later selling the items for N1.1 million. Authorities recovered medical equipment and a Toyota Corolla from the suspects, and the investigation is ongoing.
