Enugu Police arrest 5,895 suspects, rescue 168 kidnap victims in one year – CP Giwa

2026-03-11 - 15:27

By Chinedu Adonu, Enugu The Enugu State Police Command has arrested 5,895 suspects and rescued 168 kidnapping victims in the past year, the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, announced on Wednesday. Giwa made the disclosure during a press briefing at the Enugu State Police Headquarters in GRA Enugu, marking his first anniversary in office since assuming duty on March 11, 2025. He attributed the achievements to proactive and intelligence-driven policing strategies, carried out in collaboration with the military, forest guards, neighbourhood watch groups, and local vigilantes. “Within the past year, our operations led to the arrest of 148 suspects for armed robbery, 129 for kidnapping, 158 for murder, 48 for unlawful possession of firearms, 39 for rape or defilement, and 210 for cultism and drug trafficking,” Giwa said. An additional 5,163 suspects were arrested for offenses including theft, vandalism, fraud, human trafficking, and housebreaking. The commissioner highlighted several major operations, including the March 6, 2026, rescue of 12 kidnapping victims in Efeche Forest, Igbo-Eze North LGA, which led to the arrest of three gang members and recovery of firearms. On February 27, five suspected kidnappers were apprehended along the Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road, confessing to multiple kidnapping and armed robbery incidents. Other successes include the rescue of a kidnapped clergyman during a gun battle near the Benue State border on January 29, and the foiling of a kidnapping attempt along Adani–Nsukka Road on January 18, resulting in the neutralisation of a suspect. Beyond kidnapping, Giwa said the command arrested 39 suspects for sexual assault, defilement, and incest, while intensifying efforts against cultism and illicit drugs. Notably, police disrupted a Black Axe confraternity initiation in a forest near Nsukka on March 8, 2026, arresting 13 suspects and recovering weapons, vehicles, motorcycles, and phones. The command also recovered 105 firearms—including 22 AK-47 rifles and a G-3 automatic rifle—665 rounds of live ammunition, and 118 stolen or abandoned vehicles. On prosecutions, Giwa said 1,248 criminal cases had been charged to court, resulting in 237 convictions, with 368 cases still under investigation. He credited the successes to the support of Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, the Enugu State Government, other security agencies, and residents who provided vital intelligence. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders to maintain peace and safety in Enugu State,” the commissioner assured.