By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Kogi State is enjoying one of its calmest security periods in recent years, according to the State Police Command, which says its relentless crackdown has led to the arrest of 582 suspects — including 157 alleged kidnappers — in just a few months.
Commissioner of Police, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a strategy session with the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Lokoja. He said coordinated raids, joint operations with sister agencies, and aerial surveillance had dismantled major criminal networks across the state.
“Our crime situation is reasonably calm. We are not saying crime has vanished, but the major cases — kidnapping, armed robbery, large-scale banditry — have been tamed,” Dantawaye said.
The breakdown of arrests includes 192 armed robbery suspects, 28 homicide cases, 38 for unlawful possession of firearms, seven for rape, six cultists, and 168 others. Recovered exhibits range from eight AK-47 rifles, one AK-49, pistols, dane guns, and live ammunition to vehicles and motorcycles used in crimes.
Dantawaye credited the successes to synergy with the military, DSS, NSCDC, NDLEA, local hunters, and other security outfits, alongside strong backing from Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. “The IGP has sent in helicopters for aerial patrols while our ground troops comb the bushes,” he revealed.
Beyond crime-fighting, the CP pledged to deepen ties with the media, urging journalists to help mobilise public intelligence. “No security agency can succeed without information,” he stressed.
Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman, Segun Salami, hailed Dantawaye’s leadership and community policing drive, promising the media’s continued support in building public trust and enhancing safety across Kogi.