Security agencies arrest eight suspected criminals in Kogi

Security agencies operating in Kogi state have arrested eight suspects at different points for questioning in connection with suspected criminal activities.

Preliminary investigations indicate that some of the suspects are believed to be informants aiding kidnapping syndicates operating within the area.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Kogi State Police Command, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, in a press statement issued on Friday, said operatives of the Kogi State Police Command, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local hunters, and vigilante groups, carried out coordinated bush-combing operations across various parts of the State.

According to the statement, the operation forms part of continuous, intelligence-led security measures routinely conducted across different locations in Kogi State to proactively detect, disrupt, and dismantle criminal networks.

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The statement read, “The exercise involved thorough combing of identified forested and remote areas suspected to be vulnerable to criminal exploitation. Ground operations were effectively complemented with aerial surveillance, providing enhanced situational awareness, tracking of suspicious movements, and the identification of concealed criminal hideouts. In line with this strategy, discovered bandit camps and hideouts were neutralised to prevent reuse and deny criminal elements any operational comfort.

“Overwhelmed by the coordinated presence and superior deployment of security forces, suspected criminal elements fled their enclaves, abandoning several hideout locations. In the course of the operation, eight suspects were arrested at different points for questioning in connection with suspected criminal activities. Preliminary investigations indicate that some of the suspects are believed to be informants aiding kidnapping syndicates operating within the area.

“The suspects are currently in custody, and thorough investigations are ongoing, after which appropriate legal action will be taken based on the outcome of the investigations. The areas covered during the operation have since remained calm and stable, with sustained and visible security presence to reassure residents and forestall any breach of peace.

“The Kogi State Police Command reiterates that these joint security operations are continuous, deliberate, and statewide, forming part of a comprehensive and proactive security architecture designed to keep criminal elements constantly unsettled until they are completely dismantled. These sustained efforts reflect the superb, strategic, and result-oriented leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, whose commitment to intelligence-driven policing, modern surveillance support, and strong inter-agency collaboration continues to yield tangible security gains across the state.

“The Commissioner of Police assures the good people of Kogi State of the Command’s firm control of the security situation and its unwavering resolve to protect lives and property. Members of the public are encouraged to remain calm, law-abiding, and vigilant, and to promptly report any suspicious activity through the Command’s Contact.”