The Nigeria Police Force has announced major breakthroughs in the fight against violent crimes across the country, recording thousands of arrests and recovering large caches of arms and ammunition in recent weeks.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) Headquarters in Guzape, Abuja, the Force highlighted its achievements in tackling kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, gunrunning, and cultism.
According to the briefing, operatives of the Force Investigation Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) arrested 715 armed robbery suspects, 305 kidnappers, 533 murder/homicide suspects, and 143 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms within the last month. A further 371 suspects were arrested for sexual-related offences, 590 for cultism, and 3,272 for other crimes.
In total, 337 firearms, 4,445 rounds of ammunition, 278 vehicles, and several dangerous weapons were recovered. Police operatives also rescued 283 kidnapped victims during coordinated operations nationwide.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, commended the resilience of the operatives, stressing that the results reflect the vision of building a modern, professional, and intelligence-driven police force capable of addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
Key Arrests and Recoveries
Gunrunning Suspects: On July 27, operatives arrested Jerauji Ibrahim in Adamawa State, recovering two AK-47 rifles, magazines, and live ammunition. Similarly, Samaila Hassan and Usman Hashimu were intercepted in Numan, Adamawa, with arms intended for resale to criminals. In another operation, Audu Adamu, a 55-year-old notorious gunrunner in Kaduna, was arrested, leading to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles. Tanfa Binbol was also arrested in Taraba State with three AK-47 rifles, a pump-action gun, and five pistols.
Human Trafficking: One Jane Anodua was arrested in Rivers State following reports of child abductions in Plateau State. Two 10-year-old girls were rescued, while further investigations led to the recovery of two more trafficked children, who have since been reunited with their parents.
Kidnapping: Haladu Haruna was arrested in Adamawa State for his role in the kidnapping of a businessman, Alhaji Mumuni Mohamadu. The suspect confessed to collecting a ₦5 million ransom, and his arrest led to the recovery of multiple firearms.
Mop-Up Operations Between July and August 2025, police recovered additional arms including four AK-47 rifles, a G-3 rifle, an SMG rifle, a revolver rifle, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition during raids in Taraba, Plateau, and Adamawa States.
The Force reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, warning criminal elements that it would continue to pursue them relentlessly.
Police authorities further appealed to Nigerians to remain vigilant and cooperate with law enforcement agencies, stressing that collective responsibility was vital to achieving a safer society.
