Police rescue 11 kidnapped victims in Katsina, arrest kidnappers in Delta
The Force Headquarters on Friday announced that police operatives, in a coordinated operation with sister security agencies, successfully intercepted a kidnapping syndicate in Katsina State. Following a fierce exchange of gunfire, 11 kidnapped victims were rescued unharmed.
In a separate mission in Delta State, officers apprehended a notorious kidnapping kingpin allegedly behind a cross-state syndicate operating in Delta, Rivers, Imo, and Enugu States.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, revealed that police also thwarted an arms smuggling attempt, recovering a large cache of illegal weapons and ammunition in Delta.
He said: “In Katsina State, a major breakthrough was recorded on June 8, 2025, when a Joint Task Force comprising police and other security agencies foiled a kidnap attempt along the Danmusa–Mara Dangeza village road in Danmusa LGA. The team, while on patrol, engaged in a fierce gun battle with armed bandits attempting to flee with kidnapped victims. The operatives overpowered the criminals, who fled with gunshot wounds, and successfully rescued 11 victims without injuries.”
In Delta, officers from the CP-Special Assignment Team, acting on credible intelligence, arrested 30-year-old Abubakar Hassan, a key suspect in a cross-state kidnapping operation. During interrogation, he admitted to leading several abductions along the Ughelli–Ozoro corridor and guided officers to his hideout in an Ozoro forest. At the location, police recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and thirty-two rounds of live ammunition. This arrest followed the earlier capture of three other members of his gang.
In a related development, Safer Highway Patrol personnel intercepted a vehicle during a routine stop-and-search operation on Ughelli Road. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered one locally made revolver pump-action single-barrel rifle and fifteen live cartridges. The driver, identified as 38-year-old Obi Ezekiel, was arrested at the scene.
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, praised the courage and professionalism of the officers involved and encouraged all police commands to maintain the pressure in the ongoing battle against violent crime.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in ensuring that there is no safe haven for criminals within the borders of our dear nation,” he stated.
