The Sokoto State Police Command says it has recorded two major breakthroughs after coordinated operations across Sokoto and a neighbouring state led to multiple arrests and the recovery of rustled cattle and stolen motorcycles. 
According to the Command, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to the Criminal Investigation Department carried out an intelligence-led operation in Tangaza Local Government Area on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at about 1400 hours.
The operation led to the arrest of one Ruwa Ginyo, identified as the Fulani head of Gidan-Madi, alongside two other suspects.
Preliminary findings indicate that the trio allegedly serve as brokers and financial backers for a notorious bandit group by receiving rustled cattle, selling them, and remitting the proceeds to the armed groups.
Four rustled cows were recovered at the point of arrest. The suspects have reportedly confessed, and further investigation is in progress.
In a separate operation the same day at about 1700 hours, the Command’s Strike Force carried out a targeted investigation in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The raid resulted in the arrest of several suspects linked to Criminal Conspiracy, motorcycle theft, and receiving stolen property. Two motorcycles believed to have been stolen were recovered, and investigators say the items are tied to an ongoing case.
All suspects are currently in police custody as efforts continue to dismantle the wider criminal network.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Musa, praised the operatives for their “exceptional work and vigilance,” noting that the dual operations reflect the Command’s capability and resolve.
According to him, “these parallel successes underscore our command’s resolve and operational reach. The first operation hits the financiers of banditry within our borders. The second shows our proactive stance in pursuing criminal networks beyond them… This two-pronged approach—crushing both the funding and logistical chains of crime—will be intensified.”
The Command urged residents, especially livestock dealers and motorcycle traders, to demand proper proof of ownership before transactions and to continue sharing credible intelligence with security agencies, assuring that all information will be handled confidentially.
DSP Ahmad Rufai, anipr
Police Public Relations Officer
Sokoto State Police Command, Sokoto
