The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced significant breakthroughs in its recent operations, including the rescue of 11 kidnapped victims in Katsina State and the arrest of two suspects, Abubakar Hassan and Obi Ezekiel, in Delta State.
Hassan was apprehended for his involvement in inter-state kidnapping activities across four states in the country, while Ezekiel was nabbed for possession arms and ammunition found in his vehicle during a stop-and-search operation in the Ughelli area of Delta.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the successful operations were carried out in collaboration with sister security agencies.
“In Katsina State, a major success was recorded on June 8, 2025, when a combined JTF comprising Police operatives and other security agencies, foiled a kidnap attempt along the Danmusa–Mara Dangeza village road in Danmusa LGA.
“The team, while on patrol, were engaged in a fierce gun battle with a group of armed bandits attempting to flee with kidnapped victims. The operatives successfully overpowered the criminals, forcing them to flee with gunshot injuries and successfully rescued 11 victims unhurt,” the statement partly reads.
In another operation, police operatives attached to the CP-Special Assignment Team in Delta, acting on credible intelligence, arrested Hassan, 30, a key suspect in a cross-state kidnapping syndicate operating within Delta, Rivers, Imo, and Enugu States.
ACP Adejobi stated that during interrogation, he confessed to leading operations along Ughelli-Ozoro axis and led police operatives to his hideout in a forest in Ozoro, where two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and thirty-two rounds of live ammunition were recovered.
He noted that the successful operation was linked to an earlier arrest of three other members of his kidnapping gang.
“Similarly, officers of the Safer Highway Patrol intercepted a vehicle during routine stop-and-search duties along Ughelli road. A thorough search led to the recovery of one locally fabricated revolver pump-action single-barrel rifle, fifteen rounds of live cartridges. The driver of the vehicle, one Obi Ezekiel (38) was arrested in the process,” the spokesperson added.
Reacting to the effective interventions, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the bravery and professionalism of the officers involved in the operations.
IGP Egbetokun urged all Commands to sustain the momentum in the fight against all forms of violent crimes, reiterating that the security agency remains resolute in ensuring that there is no safe haven for criminals within the borders of Nigeria.
