The Borno State Police Command on Tuesday said the recent arrest of 103 suspects in a major crackdown on criminal hideouts and black spots across Maiduguri was part of measures to curb election thuggery and other anti-social activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Nahum Daso, who disclosed this to LEADERSHIP, said the operation was part of the proactive security strategy of the Commissioner of Police, aimed at flushing out criminals from slums, communities and identified criminal hideouts across the state.
The PPRO while speaking on the operation, said the exercise was designed to create a safe and peaceful environment for the forthcoming electioneering process.
He said the arrest of the suspects was carried out as part of the Command’s efforts to prevent criminal elements from exploiting the election period to perpetrate violence and other forms of social vices.
Daso said,“The crackdown of about 103 suspects within the period under review was part of the Commissioner of Police’s strategy to ensure proactive measures in addressing election thuggery and any form of social vices within the state,” he said.
“The method adopted by the Command is to raid the slums, communities and identified black hideouts and black spots where criminals hibernate, flushing them away from those places so that we can have a free and hitch-free electioneering process.”
According to him, the large-scale operation covered about 11 locations identified as criminal hotspots, including Baga Road, Shagari Low Cost, Kasuwa Fara, Shuwari and Muna, among others.
He said the operation was conducted by the Social Vices Unit in collaboration with other critical stakeholders and security agencies.
ASP Daso added that the coordinated operation had led to the prosecution of over 90 percent of the suspects, particularly those found in possession of incriminating exhibits.
“Following the swift measures of the Social Vices Unit, which encompasses all critical stakeholders and other security agencies, we were able to secure convictions for most of the suspects, especially those who were found with exhibits,” he said.
He, however, explained that some of the suspects were released after screening, while others were granted bail or remained under investigation.
He further disclosed that about 90 per cent of the suspects had been convicted for various offences, including theft, drugs among others.
He said the police had sustained the crackdown through subsequent raids following the initial operation.
“Since after that particular incident, there have been subsequent raid operations. The more we apprehend the suspects, the more we keep on prosecuting them,” he said.
The Command maintained that the sustained operations were aimed at dismantling criminal networks, denying criminals access to hideouts and preventing activities capable of undermining peace and security during the 2027 electioneering period.
