The Bauchi State Police Command said its operatives recovered 25 AK-47 rifles and 6,460 ammunition in the last six months.

Also, 352 suspects in connection to 221 cases of various crimes committed within and outside the state were arrested within the same period.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in the state on Friday, said the arrests were made from March till date.

He said that Bauchi State, as one of the north-eastern states in the country, “is confronted with numerous security challenges such as kidnapping, armed banditry, cattle rustling, thuggery, rape and other manifestation of violent crimes.”

He, however, said that “in the fight against crime and criminality in the state with sustained operations, intelligence-led community policing engagements and other crime-fighting strategies, the Command has continued to execute its mandate, and made remarkable achievements in the course of policing the state.”

Giving a breakdown of some of the suspects, he said that 115 of them were arrested in connection with 42 armed robbery cases, 69 arrested in connection with 59 rape cases and 29 of them were arrested in connection with 18 kidnap cases adding that in the process, 15 victims were rescued from the kidnappers.

Wakil added that 66 suspects were arrested in connection with 35 cases of culpable homicide recorded across the state while five suspects were arrested for seven cases of attempts to commit homicide.

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According to him, 35 cases of thefts were recorded with 49 suspects were arrested, and 19 others were arrested in connection with 25 other offences.

He stated that lethal weapons were mopped up from unlicensed individuals as crime preventive measures, 88 firearms and 6,460 ammunition were recovered within the period.

According to him, others include 25 AK-47 rifles, one locally made SMG, one SMG, one locally fabricated AK47, five Dane guns, three locally made single barrel guns, three locally-made revolver pistols and six locally made pistols, among others were recovered.

The Police Spokesman said, “The Command will not relent on its oars, as it will continue to put in measures to weed out unscrupulous elements in order to achieve a crime-free State.”