The Nigeria Police Force announced on Monday, July 13, 2026, that its operatives successfully rescued 12 kidnapped victims, arrested 15 suspects, and recovered an array of illicit firearms, ammunition, and stolen property during a high-stakes, 24-hour synchronized operation spanning 11 states.
​According to an official police situation report, the sweeping operations targets networks specialized in kidnapping, armed robbery, infrastructure vandalism, and criminal impersonation.
Working in tandem with local vigilantes, police tactical teams engaged suspected bandits in a fierce gun battle at Mangoro Village within the Mariga Local Government Area in Niger State. The confrontation resulted in the successful and unharmed rescue of 11 kidnapped victims, who have since been reunited with their families. In a separate incident within the Agaie Local Government Area, detectives apprehended a suspect tied to a fatal land dispute.
Operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Squad utilized technology-driven intelligence to track down and rescue an abducted five-year-old child. Two suspects were arrested on-site and allegedly confessed to demanding a ₦10 million ransom, having already pocketed ₦1 million before law enforcement closed in. Additionally, a stop-and-search operation in Ibadan led to the arrest of another suspect found with a locally made pistol, a live cartridge, and illicit drugs.
Three suspects were taken into custody in Benin City for the vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure. A recovered Toyota Yaris and 12 heavy-duty batteries were retrieved during the raid.
Acting on precise intelligence, operatives arrested a suspect for allegedly impersonating military personnel. Recovered from him were an AK-47 magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, an additional 29 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, military uniforms, desert boots, and counterfeit military identification cards.
​Minor operations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, and Ogun states yielded further arrests for illegal firearms possession, livestock theft, and criminal assault. Tactical teams were also deployed over the 24-hour period to quell violent incidents and restore order in Plateau, Zamfara, Akwa Ibom, Benue, and Bauchi states.
​In total, the 24-hour sweep netted 15 suspects, safely liberated 12 victims, and recovered two firearms, 60 rounds of live ammunition, and two stolen vehicles.
​The Force Headquarters confirmed that extensive investigations remain ongoing to apprehend fleeing members of these syndicated networks and ensure full prosecution.
