Police Arrest 5,488 In Two Months, Recover Arms, Rescue Kidnap Victims
…As IGP Slams ‘Humiliating’ Police Pension Scheme
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, announced the arrest of 5,488 crime suspects in June and July 2025 during operations across Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Edo, Ogun, Plateau, and Jigawa.
The suspects were apprehended for crimes ranging from kidnapping and armed robbery to cybercrime and trafficking.
He disclosed that the operations led to the recovery of 46,100 counterfeit U.S. Dollars, 316 firearms, 2,884 rounds of ammunition, and 216 stolen or unregistered vehicles.
Egbetokun disclosed this while addressing senior police officers at a high-level strategy meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said it was important to recognise that the security landscape in Nigeria is changing and its adversaries are no longer bound by geography, ideology, or conventional tactics.
He said, “The threats are multi-dimensional: armed, digital, ideological, and transnational. Our response must therefore be coordinated, intelligence-led, technology-enabled, and community-rooted.
“We must adapt, we must innovate and we must respond with agility, strategy and unyielding commitment to the rule of law.
“Between June and July 2025 alone, we recorded the arrest of 5,488 criminal suspects involved in offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, homicide, cybercrime, trafficking, and violent assault.
“We recovered 316 firearms, 2,884 rounds of ammunition, and retrieved 216 stolen or unregistered vehicles.
“Most importantly, we rescued 170 kidnapped victims, many from treacherous and hard-to-reach areas.”
He described these achievements as critical milestones that restored public confidence and credited police operatives for their bravery and dedication.
Breakdown of Key Operations from June to July 2025
On Friday, June 13, a joint operation in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, led to the arrest of a cybercrime syndicate. The operatives recovered 46,100 counterfeit U.S. Dollars, four POS machines, 29 mobile phones, and several other fraud-related devices.
On Tuesday, June 17, the Nigerian Central Bureau (NCB) of INTERPOL rescued 46 trafficked Ghanaians and arrested seven suspected human traffickers after receiving a complaint from INTERPOL NCB Accra.
On Sunday, June 23, operatives in Kogi State thwarted a kidnap attempt along the Obajana–Oshokoshoko axis. They engaged the attackers in a gunfight and rescued 24 victims unhurt.
On Monday, July 8, police operatives from the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) arrested Abubakar Isah, 25, along the Lafia–Makurdi expressway in Benue State.
“He was found in possession of three (3) AK-47 rifles and one thousand and two (1,002) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition intended for distribution to bandits in Benue State.”
Between July 10 and 17, a coordinated operation by FID-IRT operatives in Benue State led to the arrest of Jacob Adikwu in Abinsi town on July 16. Officers recovered three AK-47 rifles and 220 rounds of live ammunition from his hideout.
A follow-up operation on July 17 led to the recovery of five more AK-47 rifles, a rocket launcher, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
On Friday, July 11, police in Edo State, in partnership with local security groups, dismantled a kidnapping syndicate in the Fugar–Agenebode axis and rescued 14 hostages.
On Saturday, July 12, police rescued all 17 passengers from a white Toyota bus travelling from Enugu to Yola that had been ambushed near Wukari in Taraba State.
On Monday, July 14, operatives of the Ogun State Police Command arrested Yunusa Abdullahi and Peace Danlami in Plateau State.
“Both were directly connected to the murder of Mr. Chen Wang, a Chinese national found dead in his office on January 12, 2025.”
Egbetokun emphasised that these operational highlights were just a few among many, made possible through inter-agency collaboration, as he urged police commands to publicise credible results to counter misinformation and build public trust.
“This is not vanity, it is strategic confidence-building. We must reclaim our narrative from misinformation and public cynicism, and that begins with visibility, transparency, and performance.”
Addressing a lingering concern in the Force, Egbetokun decried the poor welfare of retired officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), describing their plight as “morally unacceptable.”
He said most retired officers live in “humiliating” conditions due to meagre pensions, with many unable to afford housing, healthcare, or a dignified post-service life.
“The consequences of this reality are far-reaching. Retirement, which should be a time of deserved rest and honour, has become a looming nightmare for many.”
“This position was clearly articulated in our presentation to the National Assembly during the public hearing on the bill to exit the police from the contributory pension scheme.
“This stance was further reinforced in my recent letter to the National Assembly. The path we have chosen is not the easiest—but it is the surest path to justice, dignity, and long-overdue reform.
Egbetokun noted that the police leadership had initiated steps to secure additional funding to supplement CPS earnings and reaffirmed support for exiting the scheme.
“While the agitation for our exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme is just and deeply rooted in lived realities, it is imperative that our actions are guided by prudence, strategy, and foresight.
“The leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, under my watch, is fully seized of the matter and is engaging the highest levels of the Federal Government and the National Assembly.
“These engagements have not been in vain. We are witnessing a growing recognition of the plight of our retired officers, and already, critical conversations are yielding actionable commitments.
“To our retired officers, I make this solemn appeal: hold the line. Your voices have been heard. Your sacrifices are acknowledged. And your welfare remains at the forefront of our institutional agenda” he assured.
Egbetokun also announced that officers who win the IGP’s Award for Exceptional Professionalism twice consecutively will be eligible for accelerated promotion.
“This is not just a reward—it is a call to excellence, creativity, and patriotism. We are building a culture where excellence is not just applauded but advanced. The goal is clear—A motivated force is an effective force.”
Police Arrest 5,488 In Two Months, Recover Arms, Rescue Kidnap Victims is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
