BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU
The Nigerian Police Force has launched an aggressive security operation across forested areas of Nasarawa State, targeting suspected hideouts of bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal groups in a renewed push to restore peace and security.
The operation began at Alagye Forest in Doma Local Government Area, where the Commissioner of Police, Shetima Mohammed, addressed officers before they moved into the area. The exercise is expected to extend to other identified security flashpoints as the command intensifies efforts to dismantle criminal camps across the state.
Mohammed disclosed that the command had divided Nasarawa into three operational sectors to ensure wider coverage and better coordination of the offensive. Sector A covers the Lafia zone, Sector B is responsible for the Akwanga zone, while Sector C covers the Keffi zone.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Lamidu Alkali, the Squadron Commander of Mobile Police Force 58 in Lafia, is leading Sector A. The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Sanusi Jidda, will coordinate activities across all three sectors to ensure that the operation achieves its objectives.
The police commissioner said the exercise was part of efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and protect residents from kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes. He urged residents to support the operation by providing credible and timely information that could help security operatives track down suspected criminals.
Mohammed assured members of the public that information supplied to the police would be treated with the utmost confidentiality. He also urged residents to remain law-abiding and continue their normal activities, assuring them that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property.
Leading the team into Alagye Forest, DCP Jidda said the operation followed credible intelligence suggesting that suspected bandits and kidnappers were using the area as a hideout.
He warned that the police would not allow criminal groups to continue using the state's forests as safe havens, adding that operatives had begun intensive raids on known and suspected camps.
“We will not spare any criminal or their hideout. We have commenced aggressive raids on all known and suspected criminal camps,” Jidda said.
He disclosed that the operation involved more than six units of well-equipped personnel prepared to confront criminal elements in the forest. According to him, the security teams would extend their activities to other forested areas, including parts of Akwanga and Toto local government areas.
The police command has also deployed tactical teams, anti-kidnapping operatives and intelligence personnel to identified security flashpoints and forest locations considered vulnerable to criminal activities.
The commissioner said the operation was being conducted in compliance with a directive from the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, as part of broader efforts to strengthen security across Nasarawa's 13 local government areas.
The special offensive is scheduled to continue until the end of December, with Mohammed directing participating officers to maintain professionalism and comply strictly with established rules of engagement.
With the police widening their operations beyond Alagye Forest, the command hopes to disrupt criminal networks, arrest suspects and make forested communities safer for residents. The success of the exercise, however, will depend not only on sustained security operations but also on reliable intelligence and cooperation from local communities.
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