The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 16 suspected kidnappers, dismantled a counterfeit US dollar syndicate, and recovered stolen property worth millions of naira in a fresh crackdown on criminal activities across the state.
Commissioner of Police Rabiu Muhammad disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the Command’s operational achievements over the past two weeks.
“The Command’s operatives, through intelligence-led operations, have recorded major breakthroughs across the state, leading to the arrest of criminal suspects and the recovery of firearms, stolen vehicles, hard drugs, livestock, and other valuables,” Muhammad said.
He said one of the major breakthroughs involved six suspects linked to a counterfeit US dollar syndicate. Investigations began on July 21 with the arrest of a 20-year-old woman allegedly caught trying to exchange fake dollar notes for naira. The lead exposed two suppliers from Ramin Kura Village, and further digging dismantled the wider network.
In a separate operation on July 25, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested three suspected gunrunners — Luka Samuel, John Paul, and Musa Elisha — in Jos, Plateau State. The suspects were found with two locally fabricated pistols and reportedly confessed to arming bandits.
Police also announced the arrest of suspected kidnap kingpin Abdullahi Mohammed, alias “Aala,” following months of surveillance. Muhammad said the suspect confessed to masterminding several kidnappings in Ikara Local Government Area and parts of neighbouring Kano State, as well as the killing of two Yan Sa Kai vigilante members in an attack last year. An AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were recovered from him.
In Zaria, police recovered a Toyota Sienna stolen from a mosque in Ungwan Rimi; one suspect was arrested with the vehicle, while another was held for allegedly producing duplicate keys used by car theft syndicates.
Elsewhere in Zaria, patrol teams responding to a distress call engaged suspected cattle rustlers who had invaded Damanko Village. The attackers fled into the bush, abandoning 80 cattle and 10 sheep, which were recovered. Two injured livestock owners are receiving treatment.
Police also recovered 190 solar inverters worth about ₦69 million and 10 lithium batteries worth about ₦9 million from a Zaria warehouse, suspected to have been stolen from a container in transit. On July 31, two suspects were arrested for allegedly supplying hard drugs to bandits around Kasuwar Magani.
Summarising the two-week haul, Muhammad said police recovered 10 firearms, 83 packs of hard drugs, 32 stolen mobile phones, two plasma television sets, and 410 cattle.
“We will sustain this offensive against criminal elements through collaboration with the military, the DSS, the NSCDC, and local vigilante groups,” Muhammad said, urging residents to keep supporting security agencies with timely, credible information.
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