The Nigeria Police Force has killed seven suspected kidnappers and arrested five alleged armed robbers in separate operations across Delta and Kaduna states.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, revealed this in a statement on Monday, citing the force’s intensified intelligence-led strategies and cooperation with local security outfits.
According to the statement, on 4 June 2025, officers from the Delta State Police Command, acting on intelligence and supported by local vigilantes and anti-cult volunteers, confronted suspected kidnappers along the Abraka Railway axis.
A gunfight ensued, resulting in the deaths of four suspects. Police recovered an AK-47 rifle and thirteen rounds of live ammunition from the scene.
In a separate operation along the Ughelli–Patani Road, the Command’s CP-Special Assignment Team stopped a shuttle bus near Ewhereni Junction. The suspects reportedly opened fire in an attempt to escape, prompting a gun battle that led to the deaths of three more suspects.
Officers recovered another AK-47 rifle loaded with eighteen rounds of live ammunition. Preliminary investigations identified the group as part of a notorious kidnapping syndicate active in the state.
In Kaduna State, police operatives arrested five suspected armed robbers believed to be members of a criminal gang that has long terrorised residents.
The arrests followed the recovery of a Toyota Hilux, stolen on 28 May 2025 from the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja. Officers captured one suspect, Mohammed Kabir from Samaru Gusau, Zamfara State, after a high-speed chase near Zaria. Investigators later recovered a Toyota Camry abandoned near the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway.
In a related development, police recovered a Honda CR-V following the arrest of Emmanuel Oliseh, who allegedly stole the vehicle in Abuja.
During a separate stop-and-search operation, officers intercepted a 1998 Toyota Camry. The three occupants — Ibrahim Bala, Abdulsalam Abdullahi, and Abdulraman Muktar — confessed to stealing the vehicle from Nasarawa State.
Commending the officers, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun praised their effective use of intelligence and urged continued public cooperation. He called on citizens to keep providing timely information to aid efforts in securing communities.
