The police have arrested 16 people suspected of kidnapping and seized 10 different firearms in Kaduna State in the last two weeks.
The state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, shared this news on Tuesday while talking to reporters in Kaduna.
He mentioned that the police also arrested three people involved in gunrunning and six others connected to fake currency activities.
Mr Muhammad said their operations led to the recovery of 170 fake U.S. dollar notes, 190 solar inverters, one stolen vehicle, 83 parcels of suspected hard drugs, 32 stolen mobile phones, two plasma televisions, 410 cattle, and other items.
He explained that on 21 July, police caught Aisha Barau, 20, from Ramin Kura village, while she was trying to swap suspected fake U.S. dollar notes for naira.
This led to the arrest of Abdullahi Muhammad, 55, and Danbala Jibrin, 57, both from the same village, who were said to be part of the fake currency ring.
The commissioner added that further investigations resulted in the arrest of other members of the group.
Mr Muhammad also said a joint operation by police from Anchau Division and Yan Sa Kai vigilante members led to the arrest of Abdullahi Mohammed, known as “Aala”, 34, on 24 July for his alleged role in several kidnapping cases.
He stated that police found one AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live bullets with the suspect.
The suspect reportedly admitted to being behind kidnappings in Kuzuntu village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State and parts of Kano State.
The commissioner mentioned that police recovered a Toyota Sienna believed to have been stolen from a Juma’at Mosque in Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna, and arrested two suspects accused of stealing vehicles and making duplicate keys.
He also reported that police recovered 80 cattle and 10 sheep believed to have been rustled from Damanko Village in Zaria Local Government Area after a gunfight with the suspects.
Two owners of the cattle were injured during the incident and are currently receiving treatment, he said.
Mr Muhammad noted that police also seized 190 solar inverters worth about ₦69 million and 10 lithium batteries valued at around ₦9 million from a store in Zaria.
Preliminary investigations showed that these items were likely stolen from a container bringing them to the city.
He added that officers arrested two suspected suppliers of hard drugs to bandits around Kasuwar Magani town and recovered a large quantity of suspected illegal drugs.
Mr Muhammad praised the police officers involved in these operations for their skill and courage, assuring residents that the police are dedicated to breaking down criminal groups in the state.
He encouraged the public to keep sharing useful information, saying that the police are working closely with the military, the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), vigilante groups, and other partners to enhance security in Kaduna State.
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