The Enugu State Police Command says it rescued 211 kidnapping victims and detained 6,240 suspects over a 17-month stretch of what officials describe as sustained security operations across the state, alongside the recovery of 156 firearms and nearly 1,500 rounds of ammunition.
Spokesman Daniel Ndukwe disclosed the figures on behalf of Commissioner of Police Mamman Giwa during a working visit from Assistant Inspector-General of Police Miller Dantawaye, who oversees Zone 13. The 17-month period covers Giwa’s tenure since taking office March 11, 2025.
What the arrests cover
Of the 6,240 suspects detained, Giwa said 158 faced kidnapping allegations, 186 armed robbery, 188 murder, and 57 rape and defilement. Another 273 were held in connection with cultism and 63 for unlawful firearm possession; the remaining 5,315 were detained for offenses including stealing, breaking and vandalism. The weapons recovered included 43 AK-47 rifles and a G-3 assault rifle, alongside 209 vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles seized during operations.
The figures follow a separate set of statistics the command released roughly a year earlier — 5,895 suspects arrested and 168 kidnap victims rescued over calendar year 2025 — suggesting the pace of both arrests and rescues has continued at a similar or accelerating clip into 2026.
What’s behind the numbers
Giwa credited intelligence-led operations, proactive policing and cross-border coordination with neighboring states. He pointed specifically to the Violent Crime Response Unit, intensified patrols under the Inspector-General’s “Handshake Patrol” initiative, and faster emergency response through the Distress Response Squad and the command’s control center. He asked Zone 13 for continued support on manpower, logistics and personnel welfare.
Dantawaye, responding, urged officers to maintain professionalism, discipline and respect for citizens’ rights while adhering to force regulations, and said he intends to work with the command to further strengthen security in the state.
Everyone named in the command’s figures has been detained in connection with the listed offenses; under Nigerian law, all are presumed innocent unless and until a court finds them guilty.
Sources: News Agency of Nigeria, The Punch, Blueprint, Leadership.
