Police nab infamous criminals, rescue kidnap victims

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Nigeria Police Force has strengthened its efforts to combat insecurity with a series of decisive operations, leading to the rescue of kidnapped victims, the recovery of stolen police firearms, and the arrest of notorious criminal suspects.

As gathered in a statement by the Force’s Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on April 19, around 9:35 PM, operatives of the Faskari Division under the Katsina State Police Command acting on intelligence, intercepted a kidnapping attempt along the Funtua-Gusau highway, with the officers engaging the bandits in a gun battle, forcing the criminals to flee with gunshot injuries.

Adejobi said their swift action led to the safe rescue of 10 victims, including two drivers and eight passengers, all of whom were later reunited with their families.

In another major operation on April 18, 2025, around 11:00 AM, personnel attached to the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Taraba State, working in collaboration with local vigilante groups, arrested 40-year-old Umar Ahmad during a stop-and-search exercise at a checkpoint in Jalingo.

Ahmad, a well-known criminal who had been on the police radar for months, confessed to hiding weapons in Mayo Faran Village, located in Mayo Belwa Local Government Area, close to the Taraba-Adamawa border, hence a thorough search of the area led to the discovery of two AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, and 39 rounds of live ammunition.

However, police investigations revealed that one of the recovered rifles was previously stolen during a 2023 ambush on the Taraba State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, an attack that claimed the life of one, ASP Aminu Nuhu.

Further success was recorded on April 17, 2025, at approximately 1:30 PM, when patrol officers from the Fegge Divisional Headquarters, Anambra State, spotted a shuttle bus suspiciously parked along Port Harcourt Road, Upper Iweka, Onitsha, and upon conducting a search uncovered five pump-action rifles, eight live cartridges, and two handcuffs hidden inside a bag of rice.

Adejobi noted that the vehicle has however been impounded for forensic analysis, and investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the individuals involved.

The statement reads, “The Nigeria Police Force continues to demonstrate its commitment to improved internal security through a series of successful operations resulting in significant rescue of kidnap victims, arrests and recoveries of illegal arms. These achievements highlight the NPF’s dedication to proactively tackling crime and ensuring the safety and security of Nigerian citizens.

“On the 19th of April, 2025, at about 9:35 PM, acting upon information, operatives of the Faskari Division of the Katsina State Police Command successfully foiled a kidnap attempt along the Funtua-Gusau highway. They engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel, causing them to escape with bullet wounds. As a result of the swift response, ten victims, including two drivers and eight passengers, were rescued unhurt and reunited with their families.

“In another development, on April 18, 2025, at about 11:00 AM, operatives attached to the State Intelligence Department (SID), Taraba State, in collaboration with local vigilante, successfully apprehended Umar Ahmad, 40, at a roadblock in Jalingo. Ahmad, a notorious criminal wanted by the police for several months.

“Following interrogation, Ahmad led operatives to Mayo Faran Village in Mayo Belwa LGA, a border town between Taraba and Adamawa states. A comprehensive search of the area led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, and thirty-nine rounds of live ammunition. Further investigation revealed that one of the recovered gun belongs to the Taraba State Police Command which was earlier carted away during an ambush in 2023, where kidnappers attacked a team of the Anti-Kidnapping squad, resulting in the death of one ASP Aminu Nuhu.”