Nigeria Police Force Weekly Operational Achievements (17th – 21st August, 2026)

PRESS BRIEFING ON NIGERIA POLICE FORCE OPERATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT FROM 17TH – 21ST AUGUST, 2026.

21ST AUGUST 2026

DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS WEEKLY OPERATIONAL BRIEFING COVERING THE PERIOD FROM 17TH TO 20TH AUGUST, 2026.

UNDER THE STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP OF THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE, IGP OLATUNJI RILWAN DISU, THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE HAS SUSTAINED ITS PROACTIVE, INTELLIGENCE-LED, AND COLLABORATIVE- COMMUNITY POLICING APPROACH ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DURING THE WEEK UNDER REVIEW, OUR COMMANDS AND TACTICAL UNITS HAVE RECORDED SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONAL SUCCESSES, DEMONSTRATING OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, CRIME REDUCTION, AND INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION.

OPERATIONAL STATISTICS

THROUGH INTELLIGENCE-LED TACTICAL OPERATIONS, THE FORCE ARRESTED A TOTAL
OF SEVENTY-EIGHT (78) HIGH-PROFILE CRIMINAL SUSPECTS INVOLVED IN OFFENCES INCLUDING TERRORISM, BANDITRY, KIDNAPPING, ARMED ROBBERY, CULT-RELATED VIOLENCE, AND MURDER.
THE FORCE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY RESCUED ONE HUNDRED AND TWO (102) KIDNAPPED VICTIMS, RECOVERED TWENTY-SIX (26) PROHIBITED FIREARMS TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT (268) ROUNDS OF ASSORTED LIVE AMMUNITION, TWENTY-ONE (21) VEHICLES, AND NEUTRALIZED THIRTEEN (13) ARMED SUSPECTS IN VARIOUS GUN DUELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE REMAINS UNWAVERING IN ITS COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING LIVES AND PROPERTY, AND WE ARE RESOLUTE IN BRINGING ALL CRIMINAL ELEMENTS TO JUSTICE.

TOP 10 OUTSTANDING OPERATIONAL SUCCESSES

1. KADUNA STATE COMMAND – MASS RESCUE OF 75 ABDUCTED PERSONS

· ON 19/08/2026, ABOUT 75 PERSONS FLEEING FARMER-HERDER CLASHES IN KEBBI STATE WERE ABDUCTED BY ARMED YAN-SAKAI VIGILANTES AT POLWAYA VILLAGE AND HIDDEN IN A CAVE.

· POLICE DETECTIVES MOBILIZED TO THE SCENE. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, THE ABDUCTORS FLED, AND ALL 75 VICTIMS WERE RESCUED UNHURT WITH THEIR BELONGINGS. THEY WERE CONVEYED TO THE AREA COMMAND OFFICE FOR DEBRIEFING AND MEDICAL EXAMINATION.

2. ANAMBRA STATE COMMAND – GUN DUEL WITH UNKNOWN GUNMEN IN MILITARY CAMOUFLAGE

· ON 19/08/2026, OPERATIVES INTERCEPTED A GANG OF ARMED HOODLUMS DRESSED IN MILITARY CAMOUFLAGE ALONG EZIOWELLE ROAD.

· THE HOODLUMS OPENED FIRE ON POLICE OPERATIVES, LEADING TO A FIERCE GUN DUEL IN WHICH 2 SUSPECTS WERE FATALLY SHOT. RECOVERED ITEMS INCLUDED ONE AK-47 RIFLE, ONE PUMP-ACTION GUN, 40 ROUND ASSORTED LIVE AMMUNITION. THE CORPSES HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED IN THE MORGUE.

3. ENUGU STATE COMMAND – FOILED CAR SNATCHING & ABDUCTION

· ON 18/08/2026, FIVE ARMED HOODLUMS ABDUCTED 3 VICTIMS AND SNATCHED A BLACK LEXUS RX350 ALONG THE ENUGU PORT HARCOURT EXPRESSWAY.
· OPERATIVES GAVE CHASE, FORCING THE HOODLUMS TO ABANDON THE VEHICLE AND WEAPONS AND FLEE. ALL 3 VICTIMS WERE RESCUED UNHARMED. RECOVERED EXHIBITS INCLUDE ONE FABRICATED PISTOL, 5 ROUNDS OF ASSORTED LIVE AMMUNITION, AND THE STOLEN LEXUS VEHICLE.

4. ENUGU STATE COMMAND – ARREST OF NOTORIOUS IPOB/ESN MEMBERS

· ON 17/08/2026, ACTING ON CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE REGARDING IPOB/ESN ACTIVITIES IN AWGU AND OJI-RIVER LGAS.

· OPERATIVES RAIDED HIDEOUTS AND ARRESTED 3 NOTORIOUS IPOB/ESN SUSPECTS. RECOVERED ITEMS INCLUDED 2 AK-47 RIFLES, 55 ROUNDS OF LIVE 7.62m AMMUNITION, 3 MAGAZINES, ONE EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, AND 3 MACHETES.

5. BENUE STATE COMMAND – RESCUE OF 13 KIDNAPPED VICTIMS

· FOLLOWING THE EARLIER KIDNAPPING OF BUS PASSENGERS TRAVELING TO ABUJA.

· ON 20/08/2026, A NIGHT OPERATION BY JOINT TACTICAL TEAMS, AND PMF PERSONNEL, AT AMLA-CHO FOREST LED TO THE RESCUE OF 13 VICTIMS. THE ARMED BANDITS FLED UPON ENCOUNTERING THE SUPERIOR FIRE POWER OF POLICE OPERATIVES, AND ALL VICTIMS WERE RESCUED UNHURT.

6. EBONYI STATE COMMAND – DISMANHUNTING OF KIDNAP SYNDICATE RESCUE OF ABDUCTED PERSON.

· ON 18/08/2026, A FOUR-MAN SYNDICATE ATTEMPTED TO ABDUCT A POLICE OFFICER AND LATER KIDNAPPED A FEMALE VICTIM, CHIGBO LUCKY.
· OPERATIVES OF THE ANTI-KIDNAPPING SQUAD INTERCEPTED THE SYNDICATE AT EBEBE JUNCTION, ABAKALIKI. ONE SUSPECT, STEPHEN JOB JNR, THE GANG LEADER, WAS ARRESTED, THE VICTIM WAS RESCUED UNHURT, AND THE OPERATIONAL VEHICLE WAS RECOVERED.

7. YOBE STATE COMMAND – NEUTRALIZATION OF ARMED HOODLUM

· ON 18/08/2026, ARMED HOODLUMS INVADED A RESIDENCE IN FIKA LGA, SHOOTING THE OCCUPANT, UMAR LAMIDO, IN THE ABDOMEN.

· POLICE OPERATIVES MOBILIZED AND WERE ATTACKED BY THE HOODLUMS. THEY RESPONDED, NEUTRALIZING ONE SUSPECT AND ARRESTING HALIDU LAMIDA. THE INJURED VICTIM WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.

8. KATSINA STATE COMMAND – FOILED BANDIT AMBUSH
· ON 17/08/2026, A SYNDICATE OF ARMED BANDITS AMBUSHED SEVERITY PERSONNEL ON ROUTINE PATROL ALONG THE SABUWA-MARABAR YAKAWADA ROAD.

· THE DPO MOBILIZED A TACTICAL TEAM AND ENGAGED THE BANDITS IN A SUSTAINED GUNFIGHT, OVERPOWERING THEM AND FORCING THEM TO RETREAT. NO LOSS OF LIFE OR FIREARM WAS RECORDED. PATROL ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN INTENSIFIED IN THE AREA.

9. PLATEAU STATE COMMAND – MASS CASUALTY ATTACK (24 FATALITIES)

· ON 18/08/2026, AT ABOUT 0130HRS GUNMEN LAUNCHED A DEVASTATING ATTACK ON BIN’PER COMMUNITY IN MANGU LGA.

· POLICE OPERATIVES MOBILIZED TO THE SCENE AND RECOVERED 24 CORPSES. HOWEVER ONE SUSPECT, YAKUBU SHANONO, WAS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE ATTACK. ADDITIONAL MILITARY REINFORCEMENTS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO PREVENT FURTHER ESCALATION. OPERATIVES HAVE LAUNCHED A CO-ORDINATED MANHUNT FOR SUSPECTS.

CONCLUSION

DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW, THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE HAS DEMONSTRATED SUSTAINED OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE RECOVERY OF MULTIPLE FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, VEHICLES, AND THE MASS RESCUE OF KIDNAPPED VICTIMS FURTHER UNDERSCORES THE IMPACT OF INTELLIGENCE-LED COMMUNITY-COLLABORATIVE LED POLICING MODEL.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF IGP OLATUNJI RILWAN DISU. THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE REMAINS COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY, INSTITUTIONAL REFORM, AND THE PROTECTION OF ALL CITIZENS.

THIS IS TO ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT OPERATIONS WILL CONTINUE RELENTLESSLY UNTIL ALL THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY ARE NEUTRALIZED.

GOD BLESS IGP.
GOD BLESS NPF.
GOD BLESS FRN.