Police Arrest 96 Suspects, Rescue 42 Kidnap Victims In One Week Operations
The Nigeria Police Force says its intelligence-led operations across the country in one week led to the arrest of 96 criminal suspects and the rescue of 42 kidnapped victims, alongside the recovery of firearms, ammunition and vehicles.
The Nigeria Police Force says sustained operations between 26 September and 2 October 2026 disrupted kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, cultism and other criminal activities across several states.
According to the Force’s weekly operational briefing, police teams recovered 16 firearms, 31 rounds of live ammunition and 16 vehicles, while two armed suspects were neutralised during the operations.
Some of the most significant successes were recorded in Sokoto, where police and military personnel rescued 30 kidnapped passengers after engaging bandits who had attacked vehicles returning from a weekly market.
In Rivers State, police intercepted a kidnap gang following a high-speed chase, rescued a victim and recovered an AK-47 rifle and three rounds of ammunition.
In Kogi, joint security forces rescued a kidnapped telecommunications worker after sustained bush-combing operations, while in Delta State, police rescued a 23-year-old woman and arrested six suspects following a ransom demand of N245,000.
Other operations recorded the arrest of 13 suspected cultists in Anambra, the recovery of illicit substances and six motorcycles, and the rescue of four kidnap victims in Katsina.
A separate operation in Katsina also led to the seizure of 159 electric detonators suspected to be components of improvised explosive devices. A 70-year-old driver of the vehicle conveying the items was arrested for questioning.
In Benue, police arrested a suspected cultist accused of brandishing a firearm at a market and recovered two pistols, ammunition and charms.
The Force said the results reflected its continued emphasis on intelligence-led operations, community collaboration and coordinated action with other security agencies.
The operations were conducted under the leadership of Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
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