Police Recover 360 Firearms Arrest Nearly 6,000 Suspects
3 min read
Police Recover 360 Firearms
Police Recover 360 Firearms
The Nigeria Police Force has intensified its fight against organized crime, recording what officials describe as one of the most sweeping clampdowns on gunrunning and firearm proliferation in recent years.
In a briefing at the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) Base in Guzape, Abuja, officers showcased a series of high-profile arrests, rescues, and arms recoveries that have rocked criminal networks across the country.
According to figures released, operatives seized 360 prohibited firearms and 5,952 rounds of live ammunition. In the same operations, no fewer than 5,936 suspects were apprehended for a wide range of offences.
The arrests included 715 suspected armed robbers, 306 alleged kidnappers, 533 homicide suspects, 149 accused of unlawful firearm possession, 371 linked to sexual offences, 590 suspected cultists, and 3,272 others arrested for various crimes.
Force spokesman DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi described the breakthrough as a “watershed moment” in the ongoing battle against gun trafficking, violent crime, and criminal gangs threatening Nigeria’s internal security.
One case that drew particular attention was the arrest of Jane Anodua, who was linked to a child trafficking ring uncovered in Plateau State. Acting on a tip-off from the Ministry of Women Affairs, operatives trailed her to Rivers State where she was apprehended.
Her arrest led to the rescue of two 10-year-old girls who had been abducted. Further investigations revealed that she had facilitated the trafficking of two other children from Plateau to Imo State. Those children were also rescued and have since been reunited with their parents.
In another breakthrough, operatives arrested Tanfa Binbol, a suspected gunrunner, on July 13, 2025, following credible intelligence. He was intercepted at about 11 a.m., and a search of his residence uncovered three AK-47 rifles, five pistols, and a pump-action rifle.
Police said Binbol later confessed to running arms between Taraba and Plateau States, underscoring the scale of illegal firearm movement across porous routes in the region.
Similarly, on July 27, 2025, detectives swooped on Jerauji Ibrahim of Kedeme Demsa Local Government Area, Adamawa State. Acting on fresh intelligence, they recovered two AK-47 rifles, two magazines, and 19 rounds of ammunition from him.
The IRT team also followed up with coordinated raids on criminal hideouts, recovering a cache of weapons including four AK-47 rifles, one G-3 rifle, one submachine gun, one locally fabricated pistol, one revolver AK-47 rifle, and one revolver cartridge rifle.
Officials noted that these successes were not isolated incidents but the result of sustained intelligence gathering, swift operational response, and closer collaboration with communities reporting suspicious activities.
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, hailed the operatives for their resilience and professionalism, stressing that the crackdown demonstrates the Police Force’s renewed determination to confront gunrunning and violent crime head-on.
“The message is clear: those who traffic in weapons or prey on innocent Nigerians will be tracked, arrested, and prosecuted. We are committed to ensuring that every Nigerian can go about their daily activities without fear,” the IGP declared.
With the latest operations, security experts say the Police Force has sent a strong signal to criminal gangs nationwide: the days of unchecked gunrunning and impunity may finally be numbered.
