Police Inspector, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has revealed that Nigeria police force agents arrested 4,383 alleged criminals throughout the country between July 31 and September 23, 2025, in a renewed and intensified effort to combat crime throughout the country.
Egbetokun made the revelation on Tuesday during a strategic meeting with senior police officers of the commissioner rank and above at the headquarters of the force in Abuja.
According to him, arrests included 481 alleged armed thieves, 260 kidnappers, 371 suspects involved in guilty murders or homicides, and 161 for illegal possession of firearms.
In addition, he revealed that within the same period, 322 alleged rapists and 375 cultists were arrested, along with another 2,413 for several serious crimes.
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The force also recovered 716 varied firearms, 21,238 rounds of ammunition and 212 stolen or illegally acquired vehicles. In addition, 1,138 kidnapped victims were rescued during operations.
“Each of these figures represents more than application metrics; they reflect saved lives, the families gathered and the communities restored to La Paz.
“Behind each number there is an officer who faced danger, assumed a calculated risk and showed courage without measure,” said the PGI.
Citing specific incidents, Egbetokun recalled that on August 4, the police in the state of Delta, who worked with local security groups, responded to an armed robbery in Chelsea Street in Ogwashi-Ukwu, arrested two suspects and recovery weapons and stolen electrons.
On September 16, the safer road patrol team in the state of Edo intercepted a suspect on the way to the city of Benin with manufactured guns, ammunition and a lexus Rx 330 stolen.
In another case, 16 kidnapped victims were rescued in Odemigwe and Obanrenn after a road ambush.
He pointed out that in the states of IMO and Anambra, security agents successfully dismantled the strengths of Ipob/ESN, recovering assault weapons, explosives and operational vehicles.
In the southwest, the coordinated operations neutralized several kidnapping unions, particularly in Oyo, Ogun and Itesiwaju.
In Abeokuta, the police fruscó an attempt to kidnapping and assured the release of five hostages without victims.
Egbetokun also revealed that during the partial elections of August in Kano, 333 suspects were arrested for crimes that include conspiracy, intimidation and the outburst of electoral materials.
Recovered exhibitions included firearms, machetes and more than ₦ 4 million in cash.
In Zamfara, the police arrested 13 alleged bandits collaborators and rescued 19 victims kidnapped on September 12, even more demonstrating the growing presence of force in high -risk areas.
“What these operations reveal is that when the commands are aligned, compatible and driven by a purpose, the results are fast and decisive,” said Egbetokun.
However, the IGP strongly condemned the growing trend of attacks against police officers while in official service, describing it as inhuman and unacceptable.
He warned against such actions and urged aggravated citizens to channel complaints through the appropriate authorities.
“The injured members of the public are advised to report the misconduct of our staff to the upper officers for the appropriate sanctions against this wandering personnel instead of taking the law in their hands,” he said.
When evaluating the general performance of the officers, the police chief recognized improvements since the last July conference, especially in terms of operational conduct and visibility of leadership at critical points.
“We have witnessed encouraging signs of progress. The operational and behavior positions that I issued were not ignored, I have seen them echo in the field,” he said.
However, he pointed out that some commands are still close to expectations.
“Excellence cannot prosper where compliance is selective. Some commands still do not have total adhesion, and that must change if we want to move as a single force,” he warned.
The PPE emphasized that the nature of the crime in Nigeria has evolved, noting that security threats are no longer isolated or predictable.
“We are confronting hybrid criminal actors that combine physical violence with cybernetic tactics, local knowledge with transnational reach and minor motifs with ideological,” he said.
He listed the security challenges facing the country such as armed bandit, secessionist violence, ritual murders, financial fraud, gender violence and electoral misconduct, all that require updated, dynamic and well coordinated responses.
“Given these complexities, Nigeria’s police force has continued to increase with determination and agility. In several commands, we have registered results that reflect not only tactical competition, but the first fruits of recalibrated leadership,” he said.
Egbetokun concluded accusing the senior officials to assume all the responsibility of their areas of jurisdiction, warning that they would be responsible for any lapses in the future.
“Leadership must be visible and deliberate, not only within our commands, but in the national architecture of the application of the law,” he said.
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