Police rescue 12 kidnap victims, recover arms in nationwide operations

The Nigeria Police Force has reported the rescue of 12 kidnapped persons, recovery of firearms and arrest of several suspects in security operations conducted across different states.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement detailing police operations carried out between September 29 and October 2, 2026.

In Taraba State, police operatives rescued three of five persons abducted in the state following sustained pressure on the kidnappers. The victims were rescued safely and handed over to their families.

Nine travellers abducted in Ogun State were also rescued during a joint security operation. According to the police, the victims were found unharmed and later reunited with their relatives after debriefing.

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In Sokoto State, security personnel prevented armed bandits from carrying out an attack on Tsabre Village on October 2.

The attackers reportedly withdrew into the forest after encountering police tactical teams, Anti-Kidnapping Unit personnel and members of the VCRU.

A subsequent search of the surrounding bush yielded two rocket launchers and two empty AK-47 magazines. Police also recovered a mobile phone, torchlight, military-style cap, sweater cap, five pairs of sandals and a rain jacket.

The Force said neither the security teams nor residents of the community suffered casualties.

A separate operation in Katsina State saw police repel bandits who attacked motorists along the Funtua-Zaria Road on October 1. The intervention allowed traffic to resume normally on the highway.

In Benue State, personnel attached to Operation Zenda responded to an ambush along the Amaafu-Abaji Road. Police said one suspected bandit was killed during the encounter, while others escaped into nearby bushes. A locally manufactured firearm was recovered.

In Oyo State, three men suspected of armed robbery were arrested after police raided a hideout in the Sabo area of Ibadan.

An iPhone 7 Plus, said to have belonged to a robbery victim who died in the incident, was recovered. The suspects were later identified during a police identification parade and allegedly admitted involvement in the crime.

Police operations in Akwa Ibom State resulted in the arrest of three suspects at a suspected criminal hideout in Itiam Etoi Village, Uyo.

The operation also led to the seizure of substances suspected to be cannabis and other illicit drugs.

Another suspect was arrested during a stop-and-search operation with a locally made single-barrel firearm, a machete and a bag containing gunpowder, according to the Force.

In Ogun State, three suspected cult members were arrested in Agbado. Police said substances suspected to be cannabis, an axe, laptops, soap and drug pipes were recovered from the suspects.

Meanwhile, a separate incident in the state on September 29 led to the arrest of suspects following an alleged assault on police officers during a surveillance operation. Two vehicles connected to the incident were also impounded.

In Cross River State, detectives investigating a reported threat to life arrested a suspect and recovered a locally fabricated single-barrel gun and two live cartridges.

The state’s police command also intervened in a case of alleged unlawful detention, freeing two victims who were subsequently taken to a police hospital for medical attention.

In Ebonyi State, officers arrested a suspected criminal at a hideout in Ezenmahi Village, Onicha Local Government Area, recovering a locally made single-barrel short gun.

Enugu detectives, meanwhile, arrested a suspect over the alleged killing of a 16-year-old boy. Police said the victim’s body, a stick allegedly used in the killing and the deceased’s motorcycle were recovered.

In Ekiti State, detectives arrested a suspect over the death of an employee of a microfinance bank. The deceased’s body was deposited at a hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

The police also reported that its personnel, working with soldiers, intervened in a communal dispute involving two communities in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State and restored calm.

The Force said investigations into the reported incidents are ongoing at the various State Criminal Investigation Departments.

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