From Tongnaan Bawa Jos
The Plateau State Police Command has arrested 32 suspects and recovered 10 rifles and 54 rounds of live ammunition in a series of intelligence-led operations conducted across the state in August and early September 2026.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ayodeji Faniyan, disclosed this on Friday, September 18, during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Jos.
Faniyan said the operations targeted violent crime, kidnapping, arms trafficking, drug abuse and other criminal activities, stressing that the Command had prioritised intelligence gathering, proactive policing and collaboration with communities.
“Since assuming duty as the Commissioner of Police, I have placed strong emphasis on intelligence-led policing, proactive crime prevention, effective response to security threats and professional conduct by our personnel,” he said.
Among the major recoveries was an AK-47 rifle loaded with two rounds of 7.62mm ammunition allegedly recovered from a 23-year-old suspect, Buba Abdulkarim, in Wase Local Government Area.
Police also recovered an AK-47 rifle and a GPMG abandoned by suspected bandits who fled into the bush following an encounter with Mobile Policemen at Kafi Abu in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
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In another operation in Barkin Ladi, police recovered a locally made rifle, nine rounds of live ammunition and other items after suspected illegal miners fled into the bush when confronted by a Tactical Team.
The Command also reported arrests in connection with alleged rape and defilement cases involving minors, saying the victims were taken to hospital for medical examination while investigations continued. The suspects, according to the police, would be prosecuted after investigations are concluded.
On September 1, four suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led raid in Angwan Rogo, where police said they recovered large quantities of dry leaves suspected to be cannabis and other substances suspected to be hard drugs.
The Commissioner said the Command would continue to strengthen intelligence-led operations and cooperation with other security agencies and communities.
“Security is a shared responsibility,” Faniyan said, urging residents to remain vigilant and provide the police with “timely and credible information” capable of preventing and tackling crime.
According to the Command’s summary, the operations also involved cases of culpable homicide, kidnapping, foiled kidnapping, human trafficking, armed robbery, theft, drug abuse, arms-related offences and defilement, bringing the total number of suspects arrested to 32.