Kaduna police arrested 17 criminal suspects across the state following a series of targeted, intelligence-led operations and raids.
The command confirmed the arrest of 10 armed robbers, 3 kidnappers, and 4 illegal arms fabricators during multiple crackdowns.
Police recovered eight locally made guns, sixteen live cartridges, three stolen vehicles, a motorcycle, and illegal weapon production tools.
Spokesman Mansir Hassan said the operations disrupted networks involved in robbery, kidnapping, and arms trafficking across Kaduna and nearby states.
Officers launched one operation after a June 30 attack on motorcyclist Ismail Bello near LEA Primary School, Unguwan Gwari.
The attacker stabbed Bello and stole his motorcycle; police arrested Nura Auwal and recovered the stolen bike shortly afterward.
Kawo Division’s Surveillance Team tracked and arrested Auwal after the victim reported the crime on July 8.
In another bust, police arrested Sanusi Bala and Nura Bala on June 19 while they attempted to rob a tricycle.
Both suspects confessed to robbing commercial riders and delivering stolen vehicles to Zamfara-based buyer and syndicate receiver, Jamilu Zurmi.
Officers seized three Golf III vehicles suspected to be part of the syndicate’s criminal operation in Kaduna metropolis.
Police arrested five more suspects on June 4 for a robbery in Ungwan Sanusi where a Toyota Corolla was stolen.
The suspects sold the vehicle to Alhaji Garba Yaro, a known cross-border receiver based in Maradi, Niger Republic.
Hassan said investigations confirmed Yaro’s ties to various robbery syndicates operating in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
Anti-kidnapping officers stormed Nasarawan Doya Village on July 7 and arrested three suspects linked to a local kidnapping case.
Police recovered two locally made guns and two live cartridges during that arrest in Makarfi Local Government Area.
On July 11, police arrested four suspects in Giroji for illegal arms production and seized three fabricated rifles and tools.
Recovered items included skeletal rifle frames, ammunition, metal pipes, and heavy-duty equipment used for crafting illegal weapons.
All 17 suspects remain in police custody while investigators work to identify and apprehend their accomplices still at large.
