The Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of 50 suspects and the recovery of high-grade weapons, including an anti-aircraft launcher, in a nationwide operation targeting terrorism, kidnapping, and armed robbery—successes authorities characterized as significant progress in dismantling criminal syndicates terrorizing communities across multiple states.
The breakthrough was disclosed in a Tuesday statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer Anthony Placid, detailing a press briefing held on April 13, 2026, at the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team headquarters in Abuja. According to Placid, the operations carried out by the FID-IRT form part of a sustained offensive against criminal networks across the country.
Items recovered during the raids include 17 rifles, one anti-aircraft launcher, 111 rounds of live ammunition, 17 cartridges, five walkie-talkies, nine magazines, three mobile phones, and a vehicle. “From January 2026 to date, operatives have successfully dismantled various clandestine cells,” recovering rifles, an anti-aircraft launcher, ammunition, communication devices, and other items,” Placid confirmed.
The force disclosed one of the major successes recorded was the dismantling of a 33-member gang linked to terrorism, cattle rustling, and an attack on a church in Kwara State. “Among the most notable successes is the dismantling of thirty-three member gang responsible for acts of terrorism, cattle rustling, and the violent attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State,” the statement indicated.
The statement added that operatives also arrested suspects connected to the killing of three police officers in Donga, describing the arrests as a significant step in ensuring justice for the slain officers whose deaths had outraged law enforcement communities nationwide.
Placid further disclosed that several criminal networks involved in “one-chance” abductions, car burglaries, and fake checkpoints were disrupted in the Federal Capital Territory and neighboring states. The “one-chance” operations involve criminals posing as commercial vehicle operators who rob and sometimes murder passengers who board their vehicles.
In a related operation, operatives arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Nasiru Ibrahim, in Benue State with an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, and ammunition. Preliminary investigations, according to the police, linked the suspect to a wanted bandit identified as Janari, who allegedly supplied the weapon.
“These arrests have not only removed dangerous individuals from the streets but have also led to the recovery of stolen property and operational assets used to terrorise unsuspecting citizens,” Placid emphasized, framing the operations as removing immediate threats while disrupting criminal supply chains.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect and other members of the syndicate, police confirmed. The Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu reaffirmed the force’s commitment to tackling insecurity, noting that the latest successes reflect intensified intelligence-driven policing replacing previous reactive approaches.
Disu added that several of the suspects would soon be charged in court while investigations continue to track down remaining accomplices and recover more illegal arms. The prosecution pledge addresses longstanding concerns about suspects being arrested then released without charges.
In another development, The Kaduna State Police Command disclosed it arrested no fewer than 41 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers and rescued seven abducted victims in a series of coordinated operations across the state in March and April 2026.
The state Commissioner of Police Rabiu Muhammad revealed this on Monday during a press briefing in Kaduna, where he outlined the command’s achievements in its ongoing fight against violent crimes that have plagued the state for years.
Muhammad explained the operations, driven by intelligence gathering and strategic deployments, also led to the recovery of 24 firearms, 200 rounds of live ammunition, and 50 rustled cows. “Within the period under review, the Command recorded significant successes, particularly in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes,” he stated.
“Through intelligence-led policing and the commitment of our officers, we have arrested 41 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers and successfully rescued seven kidnapped victims,” Muhammad declared, emphasizing the human impact of operations that returned victims to families who had feared they might never see their loved ones again.
The police boss noted that among the breakthroughs was the arrest of a suspected gunrunner in Kagarko Local Government Area, where 20 locally made Dane guns were recovered. “On April 7, 2026, following credible intelligence, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested one Samaila Ilyasu and recovered 20 Dane guns from his possession,” he detailed.
Muhammad added that two suspected kidnappers were also apprehended on April 11 in Makarfi Local Government Area. “The suspects, Abdullahi Suleiman and Jibril Isyaku, have confessed to their involvement in kidnapping activities, and investigations are ongoing,” Muhammad confirmed.
The commissioner further disclosed that several informants aiding bandits were also arrested during the period under review—a significant development given that criminal operations depend heavily on intelligence about potential victims and security force movements.
“One Ali Usman, arrested on March 16 in Kachia Local Government Area, specialised in supplying information to bandits. Similarly, Haruna Abubakar and Yusufa Audu were arrested for providing intelligence and logistics support, including illicit drugs, to criminal elements,” Muhammad explained, describing how criminal networks function through distributed support systems.
In a related development, the command intercepted a consignment of ammunition concealed in a sack of guinea corn. “On April 1, 2026, operatives recovered 200 rounds of live ammunition and arrested two suspects, who confessed to transporting the items to a fleeing accomplice,” the Commissioner added, illustrating creative smuggling methods criminals employ.
Muhammad also disclosed that a notorious drug dealer identified as Mohammed Sani, popularly known as “Shanuna,” was arrested in Rigasa for alleged involvement in drug peddling, phone snatching, and gang-related crimes. “The suspect has been on our watchlist for terrorising parts of Rigasa and its environs,” he noted.
The police further recorded success in tackling cattle rustling with the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of 20 stolen cows in Giwa and Soba Local Government Areas. Similarly, operatives apprehended two suspected kidnappers linked to criminal activities in Kubau Local Government Area, while another suspect was arrested in Lere Local Government Area for alleged involvement in kidnapping operations.
Muhammad added that 13 suspects involved in armed robbery, phone snatching, and thuggery were arrested in Rigasa following a coordinated raid. “All the suspects confessed to their involvement in armed robbery, shop breaking, and other criminal activities,” he disclosed.
The command also arrested four suspects linked to motorcycle snatching and recovered a stolen TVS motorcycle, while another suspect was caught with stolen construction materials from the Ahmadu Bello Stadium site—crimes that may seem petty compared to kidnapping but significantly impact victims’ livelihoods.
“These achievements underscore our resolve to rid Kaduna State of criminal elements and ensure a safe environment for all law-abiding citizens,” Muhammad stated emphatically. He assured residents that the command would sustain its operations until all criminal networks in the state were dismantled.
“We will not relent in our efforts until Kaduna State is safe for everyone,” he pledged, though acknowledged that achieving that goal would require sustained effort over extended periods given the entrenchment of criminal networks.
The commissioner, however, appealed to residents to continue supporting the police with credible information. “The cooperation of the public has been instrumental to these successes. We urge citizens to continue to partner with security agencies to build a safer society,” he emphasized.
Muhammad also expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police Olutunji Rilwan Disu for his leadership and Governor Uba Sani for his support to security agencies in the state—recognition that effective policing requires resources and political backing that governors must provide.
On Monday, residents of Imoga Community in Akoko Edo Local Government Area arrested a kidnap kingpin, Ismaila Ibrahim, who was identified by one of his escaped victims, Mallam Jamilu, a cow dealer in Ibillo. The National Coordinator of the Movement for the Advancement of Akoko Edo People, Dr. Bode Ekundayo, confirmed the suspect was arrested on Thursday, and one other person had also been arrested after making a confessional statement.
The nationwide arrests and weapons seizures represent significant tactical victories in Nigeria’s ongoing struggle against insecurity that has plagued multiple regions for years. However, fundamental questions remain about whether arresting dozens of suspects and seizing weapons will meaningfully degrade criminal capabilities or merely remove foot soldiers who can be quickly replaced.
The recovery of an anti-aircraft launcher raises particularly concerning questions about how such military-grade weaponry reached criminal hands and what targets they might have been intended for. Anti-aircraft systems in civilian criminal hands suggest either theft from military installations, purchases from corrupt officials, or smuggling across Nigeria’s porous borders.
For the seven rescued kidnapping victims in Kaduna, the police operations represented literal salvation from captivity that could have lasted weeks or months and potentially ended in death if ransoms were not paid. For families of the three murdered police officers in Donga, the arrests may provide some measure of justice though no legal proceedings can restore their lost loved ones.
The emphasis on intelligence-led policing rather than reactive responses represents important evolution in Nigerian law enforcement approaches, though whether such intelligence capabilities can be sustained given resource constraints and corruption challenges remains uncertain.
As suspects begin facing prosecution and investigations continue targeting remaining gang members, the fundamental test will be whether Nigeria’s criminal justice system can successfully convict and incarcerate these individuals or whether they will be released due to insufficient evidence, corruption, or systemic failures that have historically allowed even arrested criminals to return to operations.
For now, police authorities celebrate tactical successes while acknowledging the ongoing nature of security challenges that will require sustained effort, adequate resources, and public cooperation to address comprehensively across Nigeria’s vast and diverse territory where criminal networks operate with varying degrees of impunity.
Punchng
