By Tony Adibe, Enugu
The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Mamman Giwa, on Wednesday, said that the command arrested 5,895 suspects for various crimes, made 237 convictions, and rescued 168 kidnapped victims within one year of his administration as the Commissioner of Police in the state.
Giwa stated this during a press briefing at the State Police Headquarters in GRA, Enugu. The CP, who spoke for over an hour, used the occasion to reflect on and review activities of the command since his assumption of office on March 11, 2025. He explained that the Command under his leadership had focused on professional, proactive, and people-friendly policing – a strategy, he said, that had contributed to a remarkable reduction in violent crimes within the state for the period under review.
According to him, discipline and professionalism still remain central to the operations of the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that officers who breach the standards of the force must face strict disciplinary actions.
Giwa insisted that the efforts of the command were in tandem with the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, who has repeatedly emphasised professionalism, respect for citizens’ rights, and community-centered policing.
On the issue of kidnapping, the Commissioner said that operatives recently rescued 12 victims from a forest in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area (Enugu North Senatorial Zone) after a coordinated operation involving the military, forest guards, and neighbourhood watch groups.
Three suspects linked to the kidnapping gang, Giwa said, were later picked up, and weapons, including a pump-action gun, a locally fabricated revolver, and ammunition, were recovered. He recalled that in another operation, five suspects purportedly involved in kidnapping and armed robbery were arrested along the Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka Road.
According to him, police operatives also rescued a kidnapped clergyman during a joint bush-combing operation near the Enugu-Benue border where one kidnap suspect was neutralized and an AK-47 rifle recovered, while the rest escaped towards the boundaries between Enugu and Benue State.
Giwa also spoke on cult-related crimes, drug and sexual offences. He recalled that the command also recorded breakthroughs in tackling cultism and drug trafficking.
He said 210 suspects were arrested for cultism and illicit drug offences, including members of the Black Axe Confraternity whose initiation ceremony was disrupted by police operatives in a forest near Nsukka. He said several firearms, vehicles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and other items were recovered during the raid.
He said further that operatives also arrested 39 suspects for rape and defilement, including an 18-year-old man accused of breaking into a woman’s home through the ceiling before allegedly raping her at knifepoint in Enugu. Another suspect was arrested for allegedly impregnating his 12-year-old ward, while a 45-year-old man was detained for allegedly defiling his teenage daughters.
Giwa, while making a summary of the breakthroughs recorded under his watch within one year, stated this: the police arrested:
148 suspects for armed robbery
129 suspects for kidnapping
158 suspects for murder
48 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms
39 suspects for rape or defilement
210 suspects for cultism and drug offences
In addition, 5,163 suspects were arrested for other crimes such as fraud, vandalism, stealing, and human trafficking. The command also recovered 105 firearms, including 22 AK-47 rifles, and 665 rounds of ammunition, while 118 stolen vehicles were recovered.
Events Secured Without Incident
The police boss also noted that the command successfully provided security for major events in the state, including the 2025 conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, which attracted more than 20,000 lawyers to Enugu. Other secured events included the South-East Vision 2050 stakeholders’ forum and the Zion Movement outreach crusade.
He lauded the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, for his administration’s support. He also commended security agencies, forest guards, neighbourhood watch groups, and residents who provide intelligence/useful information to the police.
Giwa assured residents of the state that the command “remains committed to strengthening security across the state.” According to him, “Together, we can achieve and sustain a secure, peaceful, and thriving environment for everyone in Enugu State.”
