Police apprehend 288 robbers, 187 kidnappers, 198 murderers – IG

The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed that in the last five weeks, it has detained 288 suspects in armed robberies, 187 suspects in kidnappings, 198 suspects in homicides, 59 suspects for possessing illegal firearms, 168 suspects in rape, defilement, and other sexual offense cases, 265 suspected cultists, and 1891 other suspects for various crimes.

Additionally, 127 firearms of various calibers, 612 different types of ammunition, and 89 stolen vehicles were all found by police across the country during the same time frame. Meanwhile, 71 kidnapped victims were freed unharmed and later reunited with their families and loved ones.

A total of 89 stolen vehicles have been found by the police in the past five weeks, while 1,244 vehicles have been registered overall through the Central Motor System, 234 of which have been discovered to have been reported stolen on the platform. The police high command added that 46 stolen vehicles have been recovered so far out of a total of 89 vehicles recovered due to the quick response of the CMR desk officers working with field agents.

At a meeting with strategic police managers, including Deputy Inspector Generals of Police, Assistant Inspector Generals of Police, and Commissioners of Police on Thursday at Force Headquarters in Abuja, Olukayode Egbetokun, the acting Inspector-General of Police, announced the development.

He said that the Nigeria Police had experienced both good and bad times over the previous five weeks, but that overall crime in Nigeria has been steadily declining over that time period, despite pockets of unpleasant incidents that have been reported in some regions.

“The accomplishments would not have been possible without the combined efforts of our officers, government backing, support from state governments, and public assistance. In order to address the various facets of crime and criminality in Nigeria, I must reiterate that the Nigeria Police Force, under my direction, will continue to adopt and embrace modern policing strategies.

Despite the threats of political and socioeconomic instability that accompanied the removal of fuel subsidies and post-election tribunals across the country, he also noted that the internal security situation of the country over the past month or so has been relatively calm. He added that, in comparison to the past, the country recorded a lesser number of violent crimes and other major offenses nationwide.

“Over the past five weeks, our dedicated officers have shown unwavering resolve in upholding law and order,” Egbetokun said. The Nigeria Police Force has successfully dismantled numerous notorious criminal syndicates involved in organized crimes through meticulously planned and well-coordinated operations driven by actionable intelligence, leading to the arrest of 288 armed robbery suspects, 187 kidnap suspects, 198 homicide suspects, 59 suspects for possession of prohibited firearms, 168 suspects involved in cases of rape, defilement, and other sexual offenses, 265 suspected cultists, and

“Overall, 127 firearms of various calibers, 612 different rounds of ammunition, and 89 stolen vehicles were found across the country, while 71 kidnapped victims were freed unharmed and later reunited with their families and loved ones during the same five-week period.

“In the interest of public safety and general security, we have established an ad hoc committee tasked with the comprehensive review of firearms licensing and regulations in accordance with the Firearms Act and other existing laws.

“The committee’s mandate will include a comprehensive analysis of the rules and procedures currently in place for firearms licensing, with the goal of enhancing their effectiveness, accountability, and transparency. To ensure a thorough and knowledgeable review, this will be carried out in collaboration with the pertinent stakeholders.

He also urged those who were in possession of firearms illegally to turn the weapons in to the local police station, where they would be safe from punishment.

All people involved in the illegal possession of arms and light weapons are hereby advised to turn them in to the police at the local police stations. There will be no punishment for this.

“By this announcement, all State Commissioners of Police and supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police in charge of Zonal Commands, as well as Tactical Commanders, are required to start an immediate, all-out crackdown on the manufacture, sale, possession, and use of illegal firearms in the nation.

“All Nigerians are hereby requested to report to their neighborhood police stations any suspicious firearms-related activities. For quick response and action, they can also report through the various NPF social media platforms.

Speaking about the Special Intervention Squad, Egbetokun stated that a team of 25 trainers and instructors from various police colleges and training schools have been carefully chosen to travel to another country for specialized training. This is in furtherance of his administration’s resolve to see to it that all forms of violent crimes in Nigeria are adequately prepared for, identified, and dealt with, and in line with his earlier directive for the establishment of a 40,000-strong SIS.

He added that the Central Motor Registry, which was recently automated and implemented, has transformed how police in the nation respond to the problem of stolen vehicles.

The goal, according to Egbetokun, “is to provide them with pertinent training in the Special Intervention Squad program, a project designed to give our staff members cutting-edge skills and techniques for handling complex security challenges across the nation.

“We have made significant investments to upgrade our infrastructure and digital capabilities because we recognize the importance of cutting-edge technology in contemporary law enforcement, and these are showing promising results.

“Police response to the challenge of stolen vehicles in the nation has been revolutionized by the Central Motor Registry, which was recently automated and rolled out. The platform gives Nigerians the chance to register their vehicles online, increasing the likelihood that these vehicles will be found if they are stolen.

“During the review period, 1,244 vehicles were registered on the CMR platform, of which 234 were later discovered to have been reported stolen on the platform. So far, 46 stolen vehicles have been found thanks to the quick action of the CMR desk officers and field agents.

This figure is included in the total of 89 stolen vehicles found over the course of the previous five weeks. In an effort to recover everything, more recovery efforts are still being made. For the best security and safety, we hereby encourage members of the public to access the platform at cmris.npf.gov.ng and register their vehicles.