Kano: Police arrest 107 suspects, recover weapons, drugs in one month

The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has announced that the command arrested no fewer than 107 suspects for various crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking, theft, and thuggery across the state in less than one month.

Mr. Bakori, who disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists at the State Police Headquarters in Bompai, Kano, said the arrests were made under the Operation Kukan Kura initiative, which has played a pivotal role in reclaiming public spaces from criminal elements.

According to him, those arrested include eight armed robbery suspects, eight suspected kidnappers, three human trafficking suspects, 14 suspected drug dealers, two suspected motor vehicle thieves, six motorcycle thieves, five suspected thieves, and 61 suspected thugs (Yan-Daba). He also confirmed that the command rescued one victim of human trafficking.

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Mr. Bakori explained that the arrests were made in line with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, Federal Republic of Nigeria, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, on community-centered policing. He noted that the command intensified its efforts through the implementation of Operation Kukan Kura, which incorporates both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.

“This initiative is designed to foster active public participation in policing and a collaborative approach to addressing criminal activities. Operation Kukan Kura engages communities as active stakeholders in policing efforts, leveraging their unique positions as the eyes and ears of the police within neighbourhoods,” he stated.

The Kano Police boss further said that this approach, akin to community policing, has yielded remarkable results, particularly a significant reduction in thuggery-related crimes (Fadan-Daba) across the state.

He added: “The steady decline in these crimes underscores the effectiveness of this strategy and the vital role played by community members in supporting its implementation. Within the month of August 2025, the Command achieved notable operational successes, including the arrest of 107 suspects involved in major crimes such as armed robbery, illicit drug trafficking, motor vehicle and motorcycle theft, thuggery, and other social vices.”

Mr. Bakori further revealed that from the launch of Operation Kukan Kura on July 1, 2025, to date, a total of 473 dangerous weapons and a large quantity of illicit drugs have been recovered.

“We commend our officers for their selfless service, even as we remain committed to refining our strategies and leveraging community collaboration, technological resources, and operational capabilities to tackle emerging security challenges. We will continue to adapt and innovate our approaches to stay ahead of criminal elements and maintain peace and stability in the state,” he said.

The CP expressed appreciation to members of the press and law-abiding residents of Kano for their cooperation, vigilance, and support, stressing that their willingness to share information and report suspicious activities has greatly amplified the command’s capacity to maintain peace and security.

He urged residents to continue partnering with the police and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency contact numbers.

Items recovered during the operation across the state include one AK-47 rifle, two fabricated guns, 11 live rounds of ammunition, seven motor vehicles, eight motorcycles, seven cows, 102 cutlasses, 74 knives, 111 parcels and 458 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa.

Other recovered items are 211 pieces of suspected rubber solution, 257 bottles of suspected suck & die, five packets and 21 pieces of suspected Exol tablets, 20 sachets and 13 pieces of suspected diazepam tablets, 44 bales of Kampala textile materials, 59 mobile phones, three POS machines, 17 Opay instant debit cards, three MP3 players, among others.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE