Ekiti Police Arrest 3,490 Suspects in 2025, Record Significant Drop in Crime

• Decorate newly promoted officers

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a total of 3,490 suspects for various criminal offences across the state in 2025, recording a significant reduction in crime compared to the previous year.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Joseph Eribo, disclosed this on Tuesday during the commissioner’s conference and media briefing held in Ado-Ekiti, where four newly promoted officers were also decorated.

Eribo explained that all the suspects arrested during the period were thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in line with the law, stressing the command’s achievements have helped to sustain peace and enhance public safety across Ekiti State.

According to him, crime statistics for 2025 showed a clear decline when compared with figures recorded in 2024. Murder cases dropped from 53 in 2024 to 37 in 2025, while kidnap incidents reduced from 17 to 7 within the same period.

Similarly, rape cases declined from 41 in 2024 to 31 in 2025, cultism cases reduced from 12 to 7, and house-breaking incidents dropped from 82 to 65.

Armed robbery cases fell sharply from 18 in 2024 to 7 in 2025, while defilement cases decreased slightly from 26 to 24. Attempted murder cases also dropped from 26 in 2024 to 18 in 2025.

Highlighting some of the command’s major breakthroughs, the police boss revealed that on November 20, 2025, at about 4:00 p.m., operatives arrested Adinoi Samuel (alias Samuel Ebira), Tope Agbaje, and Godwin Anawo in Ado-Ekiti while allegedly planning coordinated attacks on several banks in the state capital.

He disclosed that investigations revealed that Adinoi Samuel was involved in the armed robbery attack on First Bank, Ilasa-Ekiti in 2012, and Wema Bank, Iyin-Ekiti in 2020, adding the suspect was also among the inmates who escaped during the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre jailbreak on November 30, 2014.

In another operation, Eribo said the command arrested a suspected kidnapper’s informant, Jeremiah Nwagh, on November 3, 2025, at about 10:30 a.m. in Itapaji-Ekiti, following credible intelligence.

“Investigation revealed that the suspect served as an informant to a kidnapping syndicate and aided the abduction of two workers of YSJ Farms, Oke-Ako-Ekiti, on October 23, 2025,” he stated.

The Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the command’s commitment to improving security operations in the state, assuring residents that 2026 would be safer than previous years.

“We will continue to adopt proactive and multifaceted policing strategies, including visibility and confidence-building patrols, raids of criminal hideouts, and intensified stop-and-search operations to stay ahead of criminal elements,” Eribo said.

The police boss also decorated the newly promoted officers, namely CSP Adeniran Akinwumi, CSP Ofanson Vincent, CSP Ogunleye Kehinde, and CSP Falade Sesan Reuben.