The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 15 suspects across several states in intelligence-led operations targeting kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, cultism, drug trafficking and other crimes.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, detailing the Police’s operational successes across 15 states in the last 48 hours.
In Cross River State, police arrested 19 suspects during raids on criminal hideouts in Nasarawa Bacoco and Trailer Park, Lemna, recovering suspected hard drugs, Indian hemp, Tramadol and an Army camouflage uniform. Police also arrested a suspect linked to the theft of a Lexus RX-330 in Enugu and recovered the vehicle in Ugep.
In Ebonyi State, five suspects were arrested over an alleged self-kidnapping scheme involving a ₦30 million ransom demand. In Oyo State, four suspects were arrested over the murder of a 45-year-old woman, while another suspect was apprehended in connection with the kidnapping of a 50-year-old man. Imo State Police also arrested three suspects and recovered two stolen heavy-duty generators.
In Kano State, two suspected armed robbers were arrested, with ₦600,000, nine mobile phones and other items recovered. Another suspect was arrested over the alleged kidnapping of a nine-year-old boy. In Benue State, two suspected armed robbers were arrested following a gunpoint robbery in which victims lost ₦1.65 million and a POS terminal.
Other operations led to the arrest of a suspected bandit informant in Sokoto, three suspected cultists in Lagos, four suspects over alleged obstruction of police officers and circulation of a fabricated video in Ekiti, and a suspect in Bayelsa, from whom an automatic pump-action rifle and 25 live cartridges were recovered.
In Niger State, a woman was arrested over the alleged poisoning of two children, one of whom died, while the other was receiving treatment. In Yobe State, a 16-year-old boy was arrested over the alleged assault of an 18-year-old following a farmer-herder dispute.
The Police said investigations were ongoing across the affected states, with efforts underway to apprehend fleeing suspects and recover outstanding exhibits.
