NIGERIA: Ex-Convicts Among Arrested Armed Robbers As Police Clamp Down On Repeat Offenders

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The Nigeria Police Force is raising fresh concerns over the growing trend of recidivism, following the arrest of multiple ex-convicts involved in recent violent crimes across the country.

In a series of well-coordinated operations, police operatives in Abuja and Jigawa State dismantled criminal networks whose members included individuals previously convicted and released.

The Police made the development known in a statement signed by Acp Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, released on Monday.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), police operatives foiled a major armed robbery attempt in the Maitama area, resulting in the death of a notorious criminal, Abdulmininu Bello, also known as Babanle, and the arrest of seven other suspects.

Shockingly, two of those arrested, Ibrahim Muhammad (22) and Isiaka Adamu, were confirmed to be ex-convicts who had returned to a life of crime shortly after their release.

The syndicate, described as one of the most daring in the capital, was intercepted before it could launch another high-profile attack. Police recovered a cache of weapons and stolen items including four AK-47 rifles, two locally made pistols, a locally fabricated shotgun, ammunition, a Toyota Camry, and a motorcycle.

A senior police official, speaking under anonymity, expressed frustration that hardened criminals were “finding their way back into society without reform,” calling for a national review of Nigeria’s correctional and reintegration systems.

Meanwhile, in Jigawa State, another dramatic police operation led to the rescue of an 80-year-old kidnapping victim, Hajiya Hajara, who was abducted from Minjibir LGA in Kano State. Police confirmed that the gang of twelve armed men, five of whom were neutralized during a gun battle, had prior criminal records, including the suspected gang leader, Yahaya (35).

The arrest and neutralization of these suspects, many of whom had past brushes with the law, point to a larger systemic issue, the failure of Nigeria’s prison and rehabilitation system to adequately reform offenders.

Police authorities, including Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun, have expressed concern over this dangerous trend.

“The Nigeria Police will not relent in pursuing violent criminals, but it is time for a national conversation on why ex-convicts keep reoffending,” the IGP said, urging a more integrated approach to justice and rehabilitation.