The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 262 suspected criminals and rescued 27 kidnapped victims in a fresh nationwide crackdown on criminal activities.
The operations, carried out between September 5 and 11, also resulted in the recovery of 34 firearms, 375 rounds of live ammunition and 11 vehicles, while 11 armed suspects were reportedly neutralised.
The figures were contained in the weekly operational briefing of the Force, issued on Sunday by the Force spokesman, Ani Iniedu.
According to him, the suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, banditry, cultism, human trafficking, drug peddling, vandalism and other criminal activities.
Iniedu said the operations were intelligence-led and carried out in collaboration with local communities and other security agencies.
He disclosed that 50 homicide incidents, 28 armed robbery cases, 10 cultism incidents, eight gender-based violence cases, 27 kidnapping incidents, 22 banditry incidents and five terrorism incidents were recorded across the country during the period.
Giving details of some of the operations, Iniedu said police operatives in Delta State rescued a 60-year-old kidnap victim, Nduka Omoyi, unhurt after a gun duel with his abductors at Alisime Village, Agbor.
He said the rescue followed geo-spatial intelligence and was carried out by a joint team comprising local residents, forest guards and divisional crack operatives.
In the Federal Capital Territory, detectives arrested a suspect over an alleged armed invasion of a residence in Pegi, during which the victim’s wife was allegedly raped and valuables, including a gold necklace, ring and electric generator, were stolen.
The suspect, according to the police, is assisting investigators in tracking down other members of the gang who fled after the incident.
In Kwara State, two suspects allegedly wanted for kidnapping and banditry were arrested in Baruten Local Government Area.
Police said N770,000 cash, two smartphones, a local charm, bulletproof vest and power bank were recovered from them.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to military authorities over their alleged links to a recent attack in Niger State.
In Nasarawa State, police operatives engaged suspected armed robbers in a gun battle after the suspects allegedly opened fire on them shortly after abandoning a stolen motorcycle at a checkpoint in Uluji Village, Keana Local Government Area.
Two suspects were injured during the encounter, while a pump-action rifle was recovered. Another suspect was also arrested separately for his alleged involvement in the robbery.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, police operatives working alongside vigilantes and local hunters raided suspected bandit camps in Auchanawa and Wambai communities in Ikara Local Government Area.
The operation reportedly led to the neutralisation of two suspected bandits and the rescue of two kidnapped victims.
However, the operation came at a heavy cost as three local hunters assisting the security team were fatally shot, while another sustained gunshot wounds.
The police spokesman said the Force would sustain intelligence-led operations and collaboration with communities and sister security agencies to disrupt criminal networks, rescue victims and bring suspects to justice.
