The Kaduna State Police Command is investigating 12 suspects arrested during a gun battle with suspected kidnappers in Ikara Local Government Area, as security personnel work to establish their alleged connections to banditry in the area.
The suspects were arrested on Wednesday, when police officers and members of the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS) raided a residence in Yoromowa, Auchanawa Village, following intelligence received by the police.
The operation also led to the rescue of two kidnapped victims and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, the Command said.
Four suspected kidnappers were killed during the exchange of gunfire.
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The Kaduna police spokesman, DSP Mansir Hassan, disclosed the details in a statement issued on Wednesday evening.
He said the arrests would assist investigators in examining the suspects’ individual activities and their alleged connections to criminal activities in the area.
Police investigate arrested suspects
Hassan said the operation began at about 5am after the Divisional Police Officer in Ikara received what the Command considered credible intelligence.
The officer led a team of police personnel and KADVS members to the residence of Haruna Yakubu in Yoromowa, Auchanawa Village.
The team encountered armed resistance on arrival, leading to a gun battle.
The police identified three of the four suspects killed as Kabiru Haruna, Suleman Abdulkarim and Yusuf Haruna, also known as Burgagau. All three were identified as residents of Yoromowa, Auchanawa Village.
The identity of the fourth deceased suspect was not disclosed.
The 12 arrested suspects include Yahaya Hassan, Usman Hassan, Abdul Muminu Hassan, Jafaru Adamu, Buhari Usman, Usman Bashir, Samaila Yahaya, Awwalu Adamu, Maimuna Haruna, Suhaila Kabiru, and Maimuna Yusuf.
The police also arrested Hassana Usman of Yakamalam, Ikara Town.
Hassan said the suspects were assisting the police in establishing their individual roles and the network allegedly connected to the criminal activities.
The Command did not disclose the identities of the rescued victims or provide details of their condition.
Security sweep extends to Makarfi
The Ikara operation came a day after police officers and KADVS members conducted a separate clearance operation in the Arabu Forest Reserve in Makarfi Local Government Area.
The operation, led by the Makarfi DPO, began at about 6am on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Hassan said the team covered the area from Durum through Nasarawan Doya to the Arabu River Bank, bordering Soba Local Government Area.
The police said the operation cleared the area of suspected criminal elements.
Two locally made guns, three sacks of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and a military camouflage T-shirt were recovered from the area.
No arrests or casualties were reported in connection with the Makarfi operation.
Hassan said the joint patrols were continuing to prevent suspected criminals from regrouping or establishing hideouts in the forest reserve.
The Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, commended the personnel involved in the operations and members of the public who provided information.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling kidnapping networks, rescuing victims and restoring peace across Kaduna State.
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