Mathew Amaechi
In a sweeping response to escalating security threats, the Kogi State Police Command announced Tuesday the arrest of 239 suspects linked to violent crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and homicide, over a two-week period. The crackdown comes just 24 hours after an investigation exposed rampant kidnapping activities destabilizing communities across the state.
Addressing journalists at the command headquarters, Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Millar Dantawaye, revealed a staggering breakdown of arrests: 75 kidnapping suspects, 66 armed robbery suspects, 18 homicide suspects, 21 individuals detained for unlawful firearm possession, 21 rape suspects, 4 cultism-related arrests, and 49 others held for miscellaneous offenses. The arrests span from February 2025 to March 2025, with police recovering five AK-47 rifles, ammunition, magazines, and a green Sharon vehicle linked to criminal operations.
“Our ongoing onslaught against criminal elements terrorizing Kogi’s citizens has yielded significant results,” CP Dantawaye declared, crediting the success to renewed tactical operations, including highway patrols, raids on criminal hideouts, and “aggressive stop-and-search” measures. He emphasized that the force recently graduated a cohort of officers from a “Refresher Combat Operation Training Exercise” to bolster operational efficiency.
The commissioner’s announcement followed a damning report published Monday, which detailed how kidnappings—often targeting travelers along major highways and rural residents—have plagued Kogi, a critical transit hub connecting northern and southern Nigeria.
CP Dantawaye urged residents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and local unions to collaborate with law enforcement, stressing that “no police agency, no matter how equipped, can succeed without public support.” He outlined plans to deepen community policing efforts, including intelligence-sharing platforms and stakeholder engagement, aligning with the Inspector General of Police’s national framework.
“We are committed to ridding Kogi of all forms of criminality,” he said, while appealing for calm and vigilance. “Every citizen has a role to play in this fight.”
The command’s recovery of high-caliber weapons highlights the severity of threats faced by security forces. However, challenges persist: Kogi’s strategic location—bordering nine states—makes it a hotspot for interstate criminal networks. Critics have long called for improved funding, technology, and interagency coordination to address vulnerabilities.
