Tension ran high in Kaduna’s Kawo area on Sunday after a naval officer was stabbed by a suspected hoodlum, prompting an immediate and forceful response from security operatives.
Just hours after the attack, a joint team of police, military, DSS operatives, KADGIS officials, and local vigilantes launched a major raid, arresting 27 suspected criminals and recovering a cache of weapons and hard drugs.
The raid, which began around 8:30 p.m. on June 8, swept through criminal hideouts in Kawo and its surrounding neighbourhoods.
Authorities say the operation was part of a larger directive by the Commissioner of Police to dismantle hotspots threatening public peace.
Among the items recovered during the raid were knives, axes, cutlasses, and large quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, along with other illegal substances.
“This is a direct message to criminals: there is no safe haven for you in Kaduna,” said CP Rabiu Muhammad, PSC, mni. “Kaduna remains a peaceful state, and we will not tolerate anyone attempting to undermine that.”
He warned individuals planning to incite violence or disrupt public order to either change their ways or leave the state, emphasising that security forces will continue to clamp down hard on all forms of criminal activity.
Police spokesperson DSP Mansir Hassan confirmed that the arrested suspects are currently under investigation and will be charged in court as soon as inquiries are concluded.
