The Kano State Police Command says it recorded a sweeping disruption of criminal networks in 2025, arresting thousands of suspects and seizing a vast cache of weapons, illicit drugs and stolen assets as part of an intensified campaign against violent and organised crime across the state.
Speaking during an end-of-year briefing, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, said the scale of arrests and recoveries reflected a deliberate shift toward intelligence-driven operations and aggressive street-level enforcement aimed at dismantling criminal ecosystems rather than reacting to isolated incidents.
According to the police chief, a comprehensive threat assessment carried out after he assumed duty revealed entrenched patterns of thuggery, phone robbery and drug abuse within the Kano metropolis, alongside emerging risks of bandit infiltration through border communities and recurring farmer–herder clashes in rural local governments.
These findings, he noted, shaped a command-wide crime-mapping exercise that guided deployments and operational priorities.
Moreover, the Command said it adopted multiple crime-fighting strategies, including enhanced community policing, joint border patrols with sister agencies, expanded cybercrime operations and sustained public sensitisation campaigns.
A major component of the approach was “Operation Kukan Kura,” which focused on suppressing urban violence and dismantling youth gangs commonly known as Yan Daba.
Within the year under review, police operations led to the arrest of 3,081 suspects across 78 divisions, area commands and tactical units.
The breakdown showed 146 armed robbery suspects, 50 alleged kidnappers, 112 suspected drug dealers and more than 2,300 individuals linked to thuggery.
Others arrested were connected to vehicle theft, fraud, motorcycle and tricycle theft, as well as general stealing.
Furthermore, officers rescued 14 kidnapping victims during targeted operations, while investigators recorded extensive recoveries that underscored the criminal capacity being neutralised.
These included assault rifles, pistols, pump-action guns and dozens of locally fabricated firearms, alongside nearly 200 rounds of live ammunition.
Equally significant was the seizure of hundreds of dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, knives, axes, swords and clubs, suggesting a sustained effort to disarm violent groups.
Police also recovered stolen vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles, cattle, mobile phones and electronic transaction devices allegedly used in fraud-related offences.
In addition, the Command reported large-scale drug interceptions involving cannabis, tramadol, diazepam, pregabalin, codeine syrup and other intoxicants, including locally concocted substances linked to hallucination and violent behaviour.
Bakori said the volume of narcotics seized pointed to organised distribution networks operating within and beyond urban centres.
“These outcomes demonstrate that proactive policing, supported by credible intelligence and community cooperation, can significantly degrade criminal operations,” the commissioner said, adding that many cases had been charged to court while investigations continued on others.
Looking ahead, the police leadership said crime-control measures would be strengthened in 2026 through improved visibility patrols, expanded manpower, enhanced surveillance at border areas and broader use of conventional and digital media to encourage public collaboration.
Bakori stressed that sustaining security gains required continuous partnership with residents, traditional institutions and civil society groups.
He concluded that incidents of street thuggery and phone robbery had declined sharply, while farmer–herder conflicts and border threats were being contained through community-focused interventions.
“Kano is experiencing a renewed sense of safety, which is critical for economic activity and social stability,” he said.