Police rescue 10 kidnap victims, recover arms in Katsina, Taraba, Anambra
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has recorded a series of successes in its ongoing efforts to strengthen internal security across the country, rescuing kidnap victims, arresting notorious criminals, and recovering illegal firearms in multiple operations.
In a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Sunday, the police disclosed that its operatives, on April 19, 2025, foiled a kidnap attempt along the Funtua-Gusau highway in Katsina State.
Officers from the Faskari Division engaged suspected bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to flee with gunshot wounds. Ten victims, comprising two drivers and eight passengers, were rescued unhurt and later reunited with their families.
Similarly, on April 18, 2025, operatives attached to the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Taraba State, working with local vigilantes, arrested Umar Ahmad, 40, at a roadblock in Jalingo. Ahmad, described as a notorious criminal who had been on the police wanted list for months, later led officers to Mayo Faran Village on the Taraba-Adamawa border. A search of the area resulted in the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, and thirty-nine rounds of live ammunition. Investigations revealed that one of the rifles had been stolen during a 2023 ambush on an anti-kidnapping squad, in which ASP Aminu Nuhu was killed.
In Anambra State, police officers attached to the Fegge Divisional Headquarters intercepted a suspicious shuttle bus parked along Port Harcourt Road, Upper Iweka, Onitsha, on April 17, 2025. A search of the vehicle uncovered five pump-action guns, eight live cartridges, and two handcuffs concealed inside a bag of rice. The vehicle is currently undergoing forensic examination, while efforts to apprehend the suspects are ongoing.
On the same day, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad and Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Israel Akachukwu, at his residence on Ezeigwe Street, Nkpor, in Idemili North Local Government Area. A search of his apartment yielded two pump-action guns, two live cartridges, a cutlass, a yellow axe, and a dagger. Akachukwu reportedly confessed to being a member of the Vikings Confraternity and is assisting the police in efforts to track down other gang members.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, commended the officers for their professionalism and swift actions that led to the successes. He reiterated the Force’s commitment to protecting lives and property, emphasizing that the achievements reflect the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing.
The NPF also urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information to aid in the fight against crime.
