Kano Police confirms Arrest of Over 3,000 Suspects in 2025

The Kano State Police Command has reported the arrest of 3,081 suspects across the state for various criminal activities in 2025. Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, disclosed the figures on Tuesday during the Command’s end-of-year briefing at Bompai Police Headquarters, Kano.

Bakori explained that the arrests were carried out between January 1 and December 30, 2025, spanning 78 police divisions, 11 area commands, and seven tactical units. The operations involved coordinated efforts from the departments of operations, investigation, and intelligence.

He noted that the majority of those apprehended were suspected thugs, locally known as Yan Daba, with 2,350 arrested in connection with street violence, phone robberies, and related offences, particularly in Kano metropolis. Other arrests included 146 suspected armed robbers, 50 kidnapping suspects, 112 suspected drug dealers, 85 motor vehicle theft suspects, 45 tricycle theft suspects, 83 motorcycle theft suspects, 154 alleged thieves, and 36 suspected fraudsters.

The police chief said the arrests followed a security assessment conducted after he assumed office on March 17, 2025, which identified thuggery, drug abuse, kidnapping, border infiltration by bandits, and farmer-herder clashes as major security threats across the state’s 44 local government areas.

Policing Strategy and Operations

To tackle these threats, the Command implemented a multi-pronged strategy based on intelligence-led policing, enhanced community engagement, joint border patrols with other security agencies, capacity building for officers, expansion of the cybercrime unit, and sustained public awareness campaigns.

Bakori highlighted the success of “Operation Kukan Kura,” which significantly reduced thuggery and mobile phone robbery. He also confirmed that 14 kidnap victims were rescued during the year, alongside the recovery of firearms, dangerous weapons, illicit drugs, stolen vehicles, and other criminal exhibits.

The commissioner commended the Kano State Government, traditional and religious leaders, community stakeholders, and the media for their support, promising that the Command would consolidate its gains in 2026 through intensified patrols, improved intelligence gathering, and stronger community partnerships to maintain lasting peace and security in the state.