As part of ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity, the Kogi State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 239 individuals suspected of engaging in kidnapping and other criminal acts disturbing the peace of the region.
The suspects were apprehended for offences ranging from armed robbery, cultism, and illegal possession of firearms to kidnapping and other violent crimes that have posed a threat to residents’ safety.
A breakdown of the arrests made between February 2025 and now includes 75 suspects for kidnapping, 66 for armed robbery, 18 for culpable homicide, 21 for unlawful possession of firearms, four for rape, six for cultism, and 49 others for various offences.
According to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, during his first official press briefing at the Command’s Headquarters in Lokoja, the arrests followed coordinated operations carried out by operatives across different parts of the state over several weeks.
Dantawaye stated during the exercise carried out to eradicate rising insecurity in Kogi State, resulted in the recovery of a cache of firearms and ammunition.
Some of the Items seized include five AK-47 rifles, two AK-49 rifles, nine magazines, 344 rounds of 7.62/39mm ammunition, 62 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and two rounds of 7.62/59mm ammunition. Additional weapons recovered include a locally made revolver barrel gun, a pump action magazine, nine expended AK rounds, seven spent cartridges, two pump action guns, and two locally made pistols.
“These results reflect the success of our intelligence-led policing and ongoing collaboration with community stakeholders,” Dantawaye stated, adding that community-driven information sharing has been key to recent breakthroughs.
The Commissioner appealed to residents across state including traditional rulers, religious and opinion leaders, youth organizations, transport unions, market associations, vigilantes, and hunters, to sustain their cooperation with the Police in the ongoing battle against criminality.
