Police Nab 5,936 Suspects, Recover 6,312 Prohibited Arms, Ammunition in One Month

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigeria Police yesterday revealed its operatives across the federation had nabbed no fewer than 5,936 suspected criminals, including arms traffickers, and recovered 6,312 prohibited arms and ammunition during coordinated operations carried out over the course of one month.

The police stated that the arrest of the suspects and recovery of weapons formed part of the force’s intensified efforts to bolster national security, combat organised crime, tackle gunrunning, and significantly reduce the proliferation of prohibited firearms and ammunition across the country.
Parading the recovered weapons during a press conference at the FID-IRT Base, Guzape, FCT, the force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the force had apprehended 715 armed robbery suspects, 306 kidnappers, 533 murder/homicide suspects, 149 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms, 371 suspects for sexual offences, 590 suspected cultists, and 3,272 suspects for various other crimes.
Adejobi stated that the coordinated operations, particularly by detectives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led to the rescue of victims, arrest of suspects, and recovery of several dangerous firearms.

He said, “One such case was the arrest of Jane Anodua, following a report by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Plateau State, regarding the incessant abduction and sale of children in the state. Operatives of the FID-IRT took immediate action, arresting the suspect in Rivers State.
“Upon her arrest, the suspect provided relevant information that led to the successful rescue of two 10-year-old girls. She also gave a useful confession regarding the whereabouts of two additional children she had assisted in trafficking from Plateau State to Imo State. The victims have since been rescued and reunited with their parents.”

The force spokesperson revealed that another significant arrest was that of Tanfa Binbol, which occurred on July 13, 2025, about 11am, when operatives of FID-IRT, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted the suspect.

He stated, “Upon his arrest, the suspect was questioned and confessed to being a gunrunner operating between Taraba and Plateau states. A further search of his premises led to the recovery of three AK-47 rifles, five pistols, and one pump-action rifle.

“In another related development, on 27th July 2025, at about 11:00 a.m., operatives of the IRT apprehended one Jerauji Ibrahim ‘m’, of Kedeme, Demsa LGA, Adamawa State. Upon his arrest, the suspect confessed to being in possession of two AK-47 rifles. The operatives acted on this intelligence and recovered the arms, along with two magazines and 19 rounds of live ammunition of varying calibres.”

He stated that follow-up operations on several other active cases of gunrunning, banditry, and illegal possession of firearms led to the recovery of four AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, one SMG rifle, one locally fabricated pistol, one revolver AK-47 rifle, and one revolver cartridge rifle from various hideouts of suspected criminals.

He stated that the force, under leadership of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, was firmly committed to its core mandate of safeguarding the lives and property of all citizens.