From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The kogi State Police Command has arrested 239 suspects and recovered various weapons and ammunition in the state.
The successes were recorded when the force launched comprehensive attacks on the dens of kidnappers and bandits in different locations of the state. At a press briefing in Lokoja, the state capital, yesterday, Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, said the ongoing onslaught against kidnapping, banditry and other crimes in the state has continued to yield positive results as the command recorded successes in the last three months. While giving a breakdown of the arrests made from February to May, he said 66 robbery suspects, who were been terrorising the state, were arrested, while 75 suspected kidnappers were apprehended at various locations in the state.
Dantawaye disclosed that 21 persons were arrested for unlawful possession of firearms, 18 for homicide, six for cultism and four for allegations bordering on rape. He also said 49 suspects were arrested for various heinous crimes Speaking further on one of the incidents, he said, “On May 11, 2025, a report from the unit commander attached to Kogi State University, Kabba, ASP Adoga Sule, said that at about 10pm, one green colored Sharon vehicle, with registration number KUJ 265 BL, approached their nipping point on high speed, refused to stop for search and ran over the barricade. He said his men immediately gave him a hot chase, which made the driver to abandon the vehicle and flee into the bush, adding that the team cordoned off the area and conducted a search on the abandoned vehicle, where five AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, 283 rounds of 7.62/39mm ammunition, 62 rounds of 5.56mm, two rounds of 7.62/59mm were recovered from the vehicle. Others, he said, included: One locally made revolver gun, one black pump-action magazine, nine expended AK-47 ammunition, seven expended cartridges, two PAGs and two locally made pistols, among others.”
The CP said: “To ensure that fight against kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in the state succeeds, we have commenced training of our personnel to enhance their mental and operational capacity for better and efficient service delivery in the state. We have also adopted comprehensive crime prevention and control strategies in recent times through intensive patrol along the major highways, raid of identified criminal hideouts; black spots and flash points, conducting aggressive stop -and-search missions as well as massive deployment of well- trained, equipped and motivated officers geared towards ridding the state of all forms of crimes and criminality.”