Police sustain nationwide crackdown on drug dealers, cattle rustling, rescue seven kidnap victims, dismantle and tightens criminal cells
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
With a firm resolve to rid the country of crime and criminality, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it rescued no fewer than seven persons out of captivity and dismantled several criminal networks across 10 states in less than 24 hours.
The coordinated, intelligence-led operations targeted kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and drug dealers and yielded firearms, ammunition and stolen vehicles.
The biggest rescue happened along the Kabba-Ayere Road in Kogi State. Acting on credible intelligencer you, operatives launched bush combing operations that forced abductors to abandon their victims as six kidnapped persons were rescued unhurt.
Hours later in Ogun State, police secured the safe release of Engineer Sola Boyeji, who had been abducted. Officers also recovered a vehicle belonging to another victim in the process.
“These operations show that we are moving from reaction to prevention. The goal is to dismantle the networks, not just chase the symptoms,” a senior police official said.
The dragnet stretched across the country. In Adamawa and Nasarawa states, kidnappers were arrested and are currently assisting the police in the investigations.
In Delta, Edo and Lagos states, police moved against suspected cultists linked to recent violence in urban areas.
The NPF also recovered firearms and ammunition in Adamawa, Delta, Ebonyi and Edo states and recovered several weapons believed to be used in armed robberies and kidnappings.
The operations were not limited to violent crime as three suspected drug dealers were arrested in Akwa Ibom with large quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
In Benue, a cattle rustling suspect linked to a murder was apprehended, a development that brought some relief to farming communities constantly under attacks.
The Nigeria Police Force also disclosed that investigations are ongoing in all cases, while special teams have been activated to track fleeing suspects and dismantle the syndicates behind the crimes.
The Force stated in its operational update, “We will not relent until these criminal networks are completely broken.”
For residents of Kogi, Ogun, Delta and other hotspots, the raids signaled a renewed push by men and officers of the Nigeria police to reclaim public spaces from criminals.
Security analysts note that the shift toward intelligence-led operations is key. Rather than waiting for distress calls, police are now hitting camps, tracking movements, and cutting off supply lines. As the manhunt continues, the Police say they remain committed to sustaining the tempo with more inter-state collaboration and community intelligence.
