Police nab 13 suspects for murder and child abuse in nationwide raids

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested at least 13 people for various crimes. These include murder, gun violence, child defilement, and indecent assault. The arrests happened in operations across different states.

CSP Ani Iniedu, the Force Public Relations Officer, shared this news on Tuesday. He provided a State-by-State Executive Summary of the force’s achievements from August 30 to 31.

Iniedu mentioned that the operations also led to the recovery of firearms and ammunition. He stated that all passengers taken by bandits from a truck in Zamfara State were rescued unharmed.

In Zamfara, police and other security forces stopped a bandit attack. Armed men intercepted a passenger truck, abducted all the passengers, and burned the vehicle. The security forces fought back, causing the bandits to flee into the forest with suspected gunshot wounds.

Iniedu confirmed that all abducted passengers were rescued safely.

In Katsina State, police stopped a cattle-rustling attempt at Sha’iskawa Village. They engaged the suspected bandits in a gun battle. The bandits were later confronted at Karofawa Village and forced to escape with suspected gunshot injuries. No casualties or property loss were reported.

In Plateau State, police arrested Buba Abdulkarim during a sting operation at Gwaram Village in Wase Local Government Area. They recovered one AK-47 rifle with two rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from him. Search operations for other gang members are ongoing.

In Abia State, two suspects were arrested. One of them is 27-year-old Chikwado Precious. Police acted on information about hoodlums gathering on Bonny Street, Umuahia, to plan criminal activities. They recovered a locally made pistol hidden inside a Chevrolet car from the suspects, who are now in custody along with the vehicle.

In Bayelsa State, police recovered a locally made revolver pistol loaded with three rounds of live ammunition. This happened after they responded to a distress call about armed men invading a house. The suspects ran away when they saw the police, leaving behind a black handbag with the firearm, a power bank, and a lighter.

In Oyo State, three suspects were arrested following a youth clash involving gunfire in the Mapo area of Ibadan. One person was killed and another was injured in the incident. Iniedu noted that police found two empty cartridges, one live cartridge, and a pump-action rifle believed to belong to one of the suspects.

Iniedu also reported the arrest of Yusuff Muhammed. He is linked to the killing of Suleiman Haruna during a naming ceremony in Oyo State. Police responded to reports of a fight at the ceremony. This fight led to the fatal machete attack on Haruna. “The suspect, Yusuff Muhammed, was arrested, and the scene and hospital were processed for investigation,” he said. The case is being treated as culpable homicide.

In Ogun State, two suspects, Victor Obilor and Kabiru Umar, were arrested for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl and indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl. Detectives visited the scene and started an investigation. The two victims were taken to the hospital for medical checks.

Iniedu also said that police provided security for the North-Central Regional Security Summit at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi. Senior government and security officials attended the summit, which ended safely under police protection.

In Rivers State, police restored calm after a protest over a fatal shooting incident. Iniedu said the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, spoke to the protesters. He assured them that justice would be served, and they later dispersed peacefully. An Orderly Room trial has begun against the involved police personnel, and a query has been issued to the team leader.

The FPRO mentioned that various cases are being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Departments in Gusau, Katsina, Jos, Umuahia, Yenagoa, Ibadan, Eleweran, Makurdi, and Port Harcourt. He reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force's commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that criminals face justice.