The Niger State Police Command has arrested 139 suspects following a crackdown on alleged criminal activities linked to an unlawful and violent rally in Suleja, with 64 of those arrested subsequently arraigned and remanded in a correctional centre.

The Command in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the arrests were made after the Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, deployed the Command’s Violent Crimes Response Unit, led by CSP Hassan Gimba, to Suleja on August 4, 2026.

Abiodun explained that at the end of the raids, 139 suspects were arrested at different locations.

He explained that this followed reports of an unlawful assembly during which some participants allegedly carried dangerous weapons and attacked and robbed members of the public.

The police said the operation was intelligence-led and targeted identified criminal blackspots across Madalla, Kwata, Bakin-Ruwa, Dikko, Kaduna Road, Sabon-Wuse, Gwazunu and Chaza.

According to him, “Following screening and investigation, 64 of the suspects were allegedly found in possession of large quantities of suspected cannabis, dangerous weapons, scissors, knives, cutlasses and four live cartridges”.

He disclosed that the 64 suspects were subsequently arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court in Suleja on charges including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, aiding and abetment, harbouring suspected criminals, giving information to miscreants, causing disappearance of evidence, mischief and possession of dangerous weapons.

The court remanded the suspects in a correctional centre, according to the police.

The crackdown comes amid growing security concerns in Suleja and surrounding communities, where criminal gangs and violent street activities have continued to pose a challenge to residents and security agencies.

The Command said the operation was part of efforts to rid the area of criminal elements and restore public safety.

Following credible information from a kidnapped victim who escaped from captivity and intelligence provided by members of the public, the Kaduna State Police Command said it has arrested six suspected kidnappers in the state.

In a statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, the command said its operatives also dismantled a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to the statement, the escaped victim reported his abduction to the police on Tuesday and identified a house belonging to one Ja’e Samalu, 65, of Dogon Pako Village, Ikara, as the location where he was held captive.

It said upon receiving the complaint, the Ikara Police Division promptly mobilised officers, in collaboration with members of the local vigilante service, to raid the location, adding that the operation led to the arrest of six suspects aged between 20 and 65.

According to the statement, the suspects are currently in police custody, while an investigation is ongoing to establish their individual roles in the crime.

“Efforts are also ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network,” he added.

The statement said the Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Rabiu, commended the operatives and members of the public for providing timely information, while urging residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities to the nearest police formation.

The commissioner also warned residents to be wary of criminal elements who might use residential buildings as hideouts or holding facilities for kidnapped victims, stressing that community vigilance and timely information-sharing remain critical to preventing and dismantling criminal networks in the state.

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The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old housewife, Aisha Musa, for allegedly attempting to kill her husband by poisoning his food in Gwamma Village, Bauchi Local Government Area of the state.

The command said the suspect, who had been married for about 40 days, allegedly mixed a poisonous substance into her husband’s meal on August 12, 2026.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, a distress call was received at about 7:40 p.m. from an anonymous woman living in the Wunti Dada area of Bauchi, prompting officers from the ‘C’ Division, Tafawa Balewa Estate, to respond immediately.

The victim was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, where he is receiving treatment and is reported to be in stable condition.

Habib said the suspect was arrested shortly after the incident and allegedly confessed during interrogation.

He added that investigators recovered an empty bottle suspected to have contained poison, as well as remnants of the meal, which were registered as exhibits.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

“The suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation,” the police spokesman stated.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.