By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Miller Dantawaye, says operatives under his watch have arrested 582 criminal suspects since his assumption of duty in January 2025.
The arrests, he said, include 157 suspected kidnappers, 192 armed robbery suspects, 28 homicide cases, 38 cases of unlawful possession of firearms, seven rape suspects, six cultists, and 168 others linked to various offences.
Dantawaye disclosed this on Tuesday while receiving members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi State Council, at the Police Command Headquarters in Lokoja.
According to him, the command has also dismantled several criminal networks, rescued kidnapped victims, and recovered an assortment of arms and ammunition.
These include eight AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, seven locally made pistols, eleven Dane guns, 407 rounds of live ammunition, ten magazines, one Beretta pistol, seven live cartridges, one Sharon car, and two Bajaj motorcycles,he added.
The CP reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening police-media relations in the state, stressing that collaboration with journalists was vital for accurate reportage and public trust.
“The media plays a critical role in shaping public perception of the police and promoting accountability in the system. I urge you to remain focused in your noble calling, as you are indispensable in building a safer Kogi State and Nigeria at large,” he said.
Dantawaye, who succeeded CP Bertrand Onuoha (retired), assured that his administration would remain committed to transparency, community policing, and proactive crime prevention.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Mr. Segun Salami, said the visit was aimed at fostering stronger collaboration between members of the chapel and the police in the state.
Salami commended the CP’s leadership style and expressed optimism that the engagement would help build mutual trust, promote societal harmony, and enhance effective crime reportage.
He reiterated the chapel’s commitment to supporting police efforts in the fight against crime and criminality across Kogi State.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
