From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command says it has recovered 332 pieces of counterfeit $100 US notes worth $33,200, nine fabricated firearms, one pump-action rifle, and two stolen vehicles in a series of clearance operations across the state.
The operations, carried out between August 31 and September 2, 2026, targeted bandits, gunrunners, vehicle theft syndicates and counterfeit currency dealers, according to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan.
The first encounter happened on August 31 around 10:00am in Kidandan, Giwa Local Government Area, after residents reported armed bandits harassing farmers. The DPO Kidandan mobilized his men with personnel of the Police Mobile Force from APV Kaya and members of the Kaduna Vigilance Service, KADVS.
“Upon sighting the security team, the armed bandits opened fire. The personnel responded appropriately, and due to the superior firepower of the security forces, the bandits were forced to flee into the surrounding bush,” DSP Hassan said.
Abandoned at the scene were one pump-action rifle with two cartridges and one motorcycle.
Later that same day, police acting on intelligence about suspected gunrunners around Maraban Jos mounted roadblocks on access routes. The statement said the heavy presence forced the suspects to abandon their vehicles and flee. One suspect was found unconscious at the scene. Nine fabricated firearms were recovered. The Command said efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.
In a separate operation on August 31 at about 4:30pm, operatives of the Surveillance Unit, State CID, intercepted a white Toyota Hilux in Kaduna after receiving information that it had been brought in from Agadez, Niger Republic. Verification confirmed the chassis number matched a vehicle reported stolen in Niger. One Abubakar Abdullahi was arrested in possession of the vehicle, which is now in police custody.
Two days later, on September 2 at about 6:30am, police arrested three men at Panteka, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna, while they attempted to sell a black GMK Jeep. The vehicle, valued at about N70 million, was being offered for N4 million and was already being prepared for dismantling, police said.
The suspects were identified as Hashiru Ibrahim, Mohammed Ibrahim and Umar Hassan. Preliminary investigation revealed that Hashiru stole the Jeep in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he worked as a driver for a Chinese company.
The biggest seizure came on August 31 at about 1:00pm, when police arrested Kabir Yusuf, 17 India Road, Barnawa, Kaduna, with suspected counterfeit currency. A search yielded 332 pieces of suspected fake $100 US notes and six pieces of fake N1,000 Nigerian notes.
During questioning, Yusuf allegedly confessed to obtaining the fake dollars from one Sahibu Ruhan of Kano State, who is currently at large. Police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend Ruhan and dismantle the wider network behind the circulation of counterfeit currencies.
Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State thanked members of the public for providing timely information, saying the successes were made possible largely through actionable intelligence from “good Samaritans.”
He urged residents to continue reporting suspicious movements to the police and other security agencies to sustain the gains recorded in making farmlands and communities safer.