Police arrest 262 suspects, rescue 27 kidnapped victims nationwide

Between September 5 and 11, 2026, the Nigeria Police Force conducted nationwide operations resulting in the arrest of 262 suspected criminals and the rescue of 27 kidnapped victims. Force Public Relations Officer CSP Aniete Iniedu reported that these operations also yielded 34 firearms and 375 rounds of live ammunition, along with 11 vehicles.

Suspects were apprehended in relation to various offenses such as kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, banditry, cultism, human trafficking, drug peddling, and vandalism. Notable recoveries included the rescue of a 60-year-old man in Delta State after a gun duel with his captors, and the rescue of a Methodist clergyman in Ebonyi State from two armed men.

In Kwara State, two suspects involved in kidnapping and banditry were apprehended, and military authorities took custody of them for their potential connection to a recent attack in Niger State. Tactical teams in Sokoto State engaged bandits in Yadiya Village, neutralizing four suspects and recovering an AK-47 rifle and 28 rounds of ammunition.

Police operations in Kaduna State saw the neutralization of two suspects and rescue of two kidnapped victims during raids on suspected bandit camps. In Katsina State, police intercepted bandits in Mararabar Dayawa Forest, neutralizing one suspect and rescuing a kidnapped victim from Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State. Gombe State saw a joint clearance operation resulting in the arrest of a suspected kidnap operative and rescue of three victims, including a two-year-old child.

In Akwa Ibom State, marine operatives thwarted a planned kidnapping attempt after raiding a suspected kidnappers’ camp along the Calabar-Oron channel, recovering a firearm, ammunition, speedboats, and outboard engines.