The Kano State Police Command has arrested 157 criminal suspects in connection with various offences over the last four weeks, Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori announced on Wednesday.

The arrests include 24 suspected armed robbers, 14 drug dealers, seven motor vehicle thieves, five motorcycle thieves, 28 general thieves, and 79 suspected thugs, popularly known as Yan Daba.

Recovered during the operations were two English pistols, 19 fabricated revolver rifles, a locally made pistol, 117 live cartridges, six expended cartridges, and 11 live rounds of ammunition. Also seized were 57 cutlasses, 71 sharp knives, 15 metal rods (Dan Bida), seven scissors, two axes, and a bow, among other weapons.

In addition to the weapons, police also recovered two stolen vehicles, two tricycles, three motorcycles, tramadol tablets valued at N150 million, six cartons of Ampicillin, 22 bottles of “suck and die,” and 69 sachets and 260 pieces of Exol tablets.

Commissioner Bakori, who assumed office on March 17, said he was briefed on the security challenges facing the state and deemed it critical to tackle the growing threat of violent crimes, armed robbery, drug abuse (Kwaya), and gang-related activities (Fadan Daba).

“Over the past four weeks, the Command intensified intelligence-led joint operations, round-the-clock visibility patrols and initiated strategic partnerships with community members.

“The proactive and collaborative efforts are yielding positive results and of the successes recorded are the breakthroughs that led to the dismantling of criminal networks that specialized in smuggling of firearms into the state.

“In order to ensure peace continue to prevail in the State, we have planned to conduct series of community-based

engagements and intelligence-led operations at strategic locations in the State with a view to prevent crimes andmaintain law and order,” Bakori said encouraged residents to always cooperate with the police.