Police Arrest 5,488, Rescue 170 Kidnap Victims In 2 Months

The inspector-general of police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said the Nigeria Police Force arrested a total of 5,488 suspected criminals and rescued 170 kidnapped victims across the country between June and July 2025.

The IGP explained that this was part of its intensified efforts to tackle rising insecurity nationwide.
Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that while speaking during a strategic meeting with deputy inspectors general (DIGs), assistant inspectors general (AIGs), and state commissioners of police in Abuja on Tuesday, the IGP said that the Force is committed to proactive, intelligence-driven, and community-rooted policing to combat a rapidly evolving security landscape.

According to him, “between June and July 2025 alone, we recorded the arrest of 5,488 criminal suspects involved in offences ranging from kidnapping and armed robbery to cultism and homicide.”

A further breakdown of the police’s activities in the last two months showed that the operatives also recovered 316 firearms, 2,884 rounds of ammunition, and 216 stolen or unregistered vehicles during various operations across the country.

The statement added that “In Kogi State on June 23, police operatives repelled a kidnapping attempt on three commercial vehicles, rescuing 24 victims after a gun battle.

In Benue State, two separate July operations led to the arrests of arms traffickers and the recovery of multiple AK-47 rifles, a rocket launcher, and over 2,200 rounds of ammunition.

“In Edo State, 14 kidnapped victims were rescued through a joint police-vigilante operation on July 11. In Taraba, swift police intervention foiled the abduction of 17 bus passengers near Wukari.

“In a cross-state manhunt, suspects involved in the January 2025 murder of Chinese national Mr. Chen Wang were tracked and arrested in Plateau and Ogun States.”

The IGP, however, commended the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) team for rescuing 46 trafficked Ghanaians and arresting seven human trafficking suspects in collaboration with Ghanaian authorities.