Enugu Police Arrest 5,895 Suspects, Rescue 168 Kidnap Victims in One Year

The Nigeria Police Force in Enugu State says it has arrested 5,895 suspects and rescued 168 kidnapping victims within the past year.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, made this known on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Enugu State Police Headquarters located in GRA Enugu. The briefing marked his first anniversary in office since he assumed duty on March 11, 2025.

Giwa said the achievements were made possible through proactive and intelligence-driven policing strategies carried out in collaboration with the military, forest guards, neighbourhood watch groups, and local vigilantes.

According to him, in the past year the police arrested 148 suspects for armed robbery, 129 suspects for kidnapping, 158 suspects for murder, 48 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms, 39 suspects for rape or defilement, and 210 suspects for cultism and drug trafficking.

He added that another 5,163 suspects were arrested for other offences such as theft, vandalism, fraud, human trafficking, and housebreaking.

The police commissioner also highlighted some major security operations carried out by the command. One of them was the rescue of 12 kidnapped victims on March 6, 2026, at Efeche Forest in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area. The operation led to the arrest of three members of a kidnapping gang and the recovery of firearms.

He also revealed that on February 27, security operatives arrested five suspected kidnappers along the Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road. The suspects later confessed to several kidnapping and armed robbery operations in the area.

Giwa further disclosed that on January 29, police operatives rescued a kidnapped clergyman during a gun battle with criminals near the Benue State border.

Similarly, on January 18, security operatives foiled a kidnapping attempt along the Adani, Nsukka Road, during which one suspect was neutralised.

Beyond kidnapping and robbery cases, the police command also intensified operations against sexual crimes. According to the commissioner, 39 suspects were arrested for offences such as sexual assault, defilement, and incest.

The police also stepped up efforts against cultism and illegal drug activities. On March 8, 2026, operatives disrupted an initiation ceremony of the Black Axe Confraternity in a forest near Nsukka. During the operation, 13 suspects were arrested and several items including weapons, vehicles, motorcycles, and mobile phones were recovered.

The commissioner added that during different operations across the state, police recovered 105 firearms, including 22 AK-47 rifles and a G-3 automatic rifle. A total of 665 rounds of live ammunition were also seized, while 118 stolen or abandoned vehicles were recovered.

On criminal prosecutions, Giwa said the police command had charged 1,248 criminal cases to court within the past year. Out of these cases, 237 convictions have already been secured, while 368 cases are still under investigation.

He credited the achievements to the support of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Enugu State Government, other security agencies, and residents who provided useful information to assist police operations.

Giwa assured residents that the police would continue to work closely with all stakeholders to maintain peace, security, and safety across Enugu State.