The Nigeria Police Force says it has arrested at least 118 suspects in coordinated operations across several states within the last 24 hours, recovering firearms, ammunition, illicit drugs and other exhibits in a nationwide dragnet that cut across murder, armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping and child abuse investigations.
The announcement was made by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, who was appointed to the post in June 2026.
The scale of the operation suggests a police force eager to demonstrate both reach and responsiveness. In its own words, one of the most aggressive actions came from the Federal Capital Territory Command, which carried out “massive coordinated raids” across 11 divisions in criminal hotspots and uncompleted buildings, leading to 87 arrests — the single largest haul in the reporting period.
The police also said quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, illicit drugs and knives were recovered, with suspects found culpable after screening to be charged to court.
In Delta State, police operatives arrested 18 suspected cult members in an intelligence-led raid on a hideout in Amukpe, Sapele Local Government Area, around 2am.
The suspects were said to include 16 men and two women, and the cache recovered included “three locally fabricated pistols”, six live cartridges, eight rounds of assorted ammunition, two axes, a suspected illicit substance and cannabis grinders.
The command also arrested Peter Jacob, 36, over the alleged repeated defilement of an 11-year-old pupil, who was taken to Central Hospital, Warri, for medical examination.
The Akwa Ibom case may prove one of the most revealing in the wider pattern of policing: it was reportedly triggered by a viral video.
Police said four suspects were arrested in connection with the killing of 21-year-old Emmanuel Iboro Effiong, who was allegedly beaten to death over accusations of stealing poultry.
The suspects were identified as David Emmanuel Okon, Joseph Effiong Gibson, Essien William Solomon and Imoh Udoh Asuquo. Investigators said the victim’s body was exhumed from a shallow forest grave and sent for autopsy, while efforts continued to track other fleeing suspects.
The command also arrested four more suspects in separate anti-drug raids in Oruk Anam and Nkana Village.
The report from Oyo State points to the same broad security sweep. Police said they were investigating the death of Bami Yahaya, who was found with multiple machete cuts in Agbede Village along the Ikere axis and later died at Isalu Clinic.
His body has been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy, while family members were invited for questioning.
In a separate incident, three suspected armed robbers — Wasiu Kazeem, Taoreed Tiamiu and Qudus Opatola — were arrested over a home invasion in Ibadan’s Agugu area.
The police said phones worth about ₦650,000 were stolen, and that “two cutlasses and two saws” were recovered. The suspects reportedly confessed during interrogation.
In Kebbi State, officers launched a manhunt after the Director of Personnel Management in Yauri Local Government Area, Alhaji Nasiru Mohammed, was fatally wounded during an attack on his residence.
His wife was abducted and remains in captivity, while one suspected kidnapper was neutralised after allegedly trying to evade a police roadblock.
The Force said three GSM handsets, one axe and documents were recovered from the vehicle, and that all entry and exit routes into Yauri Town were immediately blocked after the distress call.
The force also reported child sexual abuse investigations in Ogun State. A 38-year-old suspect, Akindipe Kayode, was arrested over the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in Laderin, Abeokuta, while a Chinese national identified as Mr Wang was arrested over an alleged defilement near a company in Ogere.
In a separate recovery, police said a gold Toyota Sienna XLE, reportedly stolen in May, was found abandoned in Sagamu.
In Benue State, police said they and local youths repelled an attack by suspected armed herders on Anyiase Community in Kwande Local Government Area, during which Timothy Terhemba sustained injuries from a stray bullet.
The command also said a suspect linked to the 12 July attack along the Otukpo-Nobi road has been arrested.
Considered collectively, the incidents show a force trying to do more than announce arrests: it is mapping a security theatre that now includes cult violence, sexual crimes, rural banditry, kidnapping and drug offences across several states at once.
That is an inference from the police’s own statewide rundown, but it is a fair one.
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