The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended 12 suspected kidnappers and three alleged gun-runners during coordinated operations across various states, seizing a cache of firearms and ammunition.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the arrests were made through joint efforts involving local vigilantes, hunters, and different police commands, acting on credible intelligence.
On April 25, 2025, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS), working alongside the Taraba State Police Command, arrested four suspected kidnappers—Shehu Ibrahim, Abdullahi Haruna, Yusuf Bello, and Mohammed Bako—in Mararaban Abbare, Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State. The suspects were allegedly plotting a kidnapping operation.
Recovered during the arrest were “two AK-49 rifles, one AK-47 rifle, six magazines, and 45 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.”
The police had earlier obtained intelligence on a kidnapping gang terrorising parts of northern Nigeria, including Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi, and Kaduna States. A raid on the gang’s hideout led to the arrest of five more suspects.
“These suspects, identified as Sulaiman Mohammed, Tijjani Bello, Muhammed Umar, Adamu Ibrahim, Solomon Nathaniel, Haruna Adamu were also found in possession of 3 AK-47 rifles, 1 AK-49 rifle, and 4 AK-47 magazines,” the statement added.
In a related operation on April 17, police in Kaduna State arrested Isa Ibrahim, a suspected kidnapper who reportedly admitted to attempting to establish a new gang following the arrest of his previous partners in Kwara State.
Later that day, police operatives in Lamido village, Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna, arrested two more suspects—Sani Liman and Murtala Magaji—who also confessed to participating in kidnapping activities in the region.
On April 18, 2025, the police, acting on intelligence, intercepted two suspected gun-runners, Bajo Badun and Magaji Abdullahi, in Kaduna State. They were found in possession of two fabricated AK-47 rifles. Another suspect, Ishiyaku Ali, was later arrested along the Kauru-Pambegua Road with two locally-fabricated rifles and a long chain hidden in a sack.
“All the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the statement added.
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives for their efforts and reassured Nigerians of the Force’s steadfast commitment to protecting lives and property.
