The Nigeria Police High Command on Wednesday paraded 25 suspects arrested for various alleged criminal offences ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, and gun running to illegal possession of prohibited firearms.
Parading the suspects in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the suspects were picked up in the various locations in the six geo-political zones in the county by personnel of the Force Intelligence Department FID IRT/STS in collaboration with sister security agencies in the country.
He said that the ongoing efforts to combat crimes in Nigeria as the nation marked the first year of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Police Force remained committed to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens, in alignment with the president’s economic recovery agenda, social integration and general development of our dear country.
He pointed out that under the leadership of Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the Police had witnessed a significant increase in collaboration among security forces and the intelligence community, resulting in notable achievements in combating various criminal activities.
According to him,” over the past. one year, the force made substantial progress in arresting individuals involved in crime, including 4,826 armed robbery suspects, 3,078 kidnapping suspects, 2,479 suspects for rape/sexual crimes, 1,243 for unlawful possession of firearms, 3,523 for cultism, and 3,381 for murder/homicide. Additionally, 13,402 suspects were arrested for other offences.
“The Police officers and men have also rescued 1,750 kidnap victims and recovered 2,566 firearms, 19,510 rounds of ammunition, and 1,475 vehicles/motorcycles nationwide.
The Force, he further said, had successfully prosecuted a total of 29,152 criminal cases across the country in one year. Remarkably, 17,679 of these cases have been conclusively dispensed with, while 11,576 cases are still undergoing trial.
According to him, “Additionally, another 51 criminal cases are currently under appeal at the respective appellate courts.
“Out of the dispensed cases, an impressive 16,200 have led to the conviction of suspects who have been handed various forms of punishments for their criminal acts.
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“We continue to strive towards our goal of a safer and more secure Nigeria, leveraging on the dedication of our officers and the synergy between the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies, as well as timely support from the community.”
He added that at the FID-IRT facility, they have apprehended 19 suspects who have been engaging in various illicit activities.
According to him, “These individuals are prepared to provide detailed accounts of their criminal activities and confess to their wrongdoings. Among the exhibits recovered from these suspects are items such as Five AK-47 rifles, five pump action rifles, 150 live cartridges, one bulletproof jacket, one night vision telescope, vigilante uniforms, one torch light, one boot, one AA Ammunition, Six Magazines, One hundred and forty-two AK-47.
While giving a breakdown of the names and identities of the suspects, he said that one Muhammad Abubakar, male, 24 years, native of Jangefe, Zamfara State and Shehu Muhammad, male, 35 years, native of Anka, Zamfara State were arrested for kidnapping.
According to him, “one Muhammad Abubakar and Shehu Muhammad were apprehended through a coordinated effort between FID-IRT operatives and local vigilantes in Asawa village, Kogi State.
“These suspects have been responsible for a series of robberies in Benin and multiple kidnappings in Okene, Kogi State. They embarked on their criminal activities about four years ago and have since orchestrated four successful kidnappings.
“The suspects allegedly received one million Naira in ransom from their first and second operations, three hundred thousand Naira from the third, and two million Naira from the fourth.
“Their criminal activities came to an end following a fierce gun battle with our operatives, during which they were captured after exhausting their ammunition. The successful apprehension of these suspects marks a significant victory in the fight against kidnapping and robbery in the region.
“Another set of criminal suspects arrested for criminal conspiracy, robbery also known as One Chance are one Chukwudi from Aninri LGA and one Okeke from Ebonyi State.
“This case is sequel to the ‘one chance’ robbery case that was previously presented during a press briefing on the 12th of April, 2024. Chukwudi, with 22 years of experience in ‘one chance’ robbery, has demonstrated a mastery of deceptive tactics used in these criminal activities.”
He said all the suspects would be charged in court after the ongoing investigations of their cases.
He added that IGP Egbetokun had assured the nation and its citizenry of the determination of the Nigeria Police force to rid the nation of all forms of crimes and criminalities.
