N8.5 million ransom payments recovered by Police from from suspected kidnappers

The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the recovery of ₦8.5 million from suspected kidnappers following two separate operations in July 2025.

The announcement was made by the State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, during a press briefing in Asaba on Tuesday.

According to Abaniwonda, the first recovery of ₦5 million occurred on July 12, when operatives from the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad tracked a group of kidnappers to their hideout in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area.

A suspect, identified as Sanusi Abdulahi, was arrested in possession of the money, which the police believe was part of a ransom from a recent kidnapping.

The police commissioner added that Abdulahi’s gang is allegedly responsible for a series of kidnappings in the Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Obulu-Okiti, Issele-Uku, and Issele-Asagba areas.

In a separate incident, the police also recovered an additional ₦3.5 million from a different group of suspected kidnappers. This recovery was made after the gang had abducted two female polytechnic students.

“The recovery was made when operatives stormed Ogwashi‑Uku forest on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

“At about 11 pm, operatives of the Special Anti‑Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad, in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Army attached to the 63 Brigade, embarked on an intelligence‑led operation and stormed the Ogwashi‑Uku forest, the hideout of suspected kidnappers who abducted two female polytechnic students on July 23, 2025, at Asagba Ogwashi.

“The combined team engaged the suspects in a gun duel, which led to the death of two of the suspected kidnappers.

“One AK‑47 rifle, 39 rounds of live ammunition, and a bag containing N3,500,000 suspected to be ransom collected from one of their victims were recovered,” he said.

Ten AK-47 rifles retrieved as Police operatives kill three bandits kingpins

The Nigeria Police Force says it has neutralised three armed bandits and recovered ten AK-47 rifles during a series of intelligence-led operations conducted in July across several northern states.

According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the operations, carried out by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), targeted criminal syndicates across Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Niger States.

The bandits, who attempted to flee upon sighting security operatives, were fatally engaged in gunfire and subdued.

The police said the assailants abandoned their weapons while fleeing into nearby terrain with various degrees of gunshot injuries.

The recovered rifles are believed to have been used in kidnappings, armed robberies, gunrunning and cattle rustling.

Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to safeguarding national security. He noted that intelligence-led strategies would continue to be employed to dismantle criminal networks threatening the country’s peace and stability.

Follow-up tactical missions are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing members of the syndicates believed to be responsible for deadly attacks on communities in the affected areas.

The IGP urged the public to support ongoing efforts by reporting suspicious activity through official channels or nearby police formations.

BREAKING; Benue killings; Two gunmen shot dead 26 others arrested by Police – IGP Egbetokun

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the arrest of 26 suspects in connection with the recent massacre in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where 47 villagers were killed.

The IGP disclosed this during a press briefing held on Tuesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, stating that the arrests were made following a coordinated police operation, with the majority of suspects apprehended on June 22, 2025.

He also noted that during the attack, two of the attackers were neutralized by police operatives, while over 100 residents were displaced.

In a broader crackdown on violence across the country, Egbetokun further revealed that: 22 suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of 12 travellers in Plateau State, and, Five persons were arrested this week for the murder of two individuals in another incident in Benue State.

These developments come shortly after President Bola Tinubu issued a stern directive for the immediate apprehension of those behind the Yelewata killings.

The President, during a recent visit to Makurdi, Benue State, had expressed outrage over the failure to arrest the perpetrators at the time.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi—which was attended by SGF George Akume, traditional rulers, and former governors—Tinubu had directly questioned the IGP, saying:
“How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata? Inspector-General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately.”

He also directed the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts to bring those responsible to justice.