According to Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), 1,239 suspected criminals have been apprehended since January 2022.
The IGP also revealed that the Force has implemented new measures to protect motorists along the Abuja-Kaduna highway and to halt criminal activities in the country’s south-east.
He made the announcement during a meeting with strategic police managers in Abuja on Thursday, revealing that the Force has received approval from the National Communications Commission (NCC) for the allocation of a national Police Short Code ‘933’ for free emergency calls and information sharing between the police and citizens. It’ll be unveiled in public for the first time.
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“Between January 2022 and today, the Nigeria Police has arrested a total of 328 Terrorists/Bandits, 325 Armed Robbery suspects, 339 kidnapping offenders, and 247 suspected cultists,” the IGP said.
“We have also safely rescued 307 kidnapped victims and recovered 510 firearms of various descriptions and 8,906 ammunition of various descriptions and calibres, including rocket-propelled grenades and other Improvised Explosive Devices, during this time period.”
He did say, however, that the achievements would not have been possible “without the loyalty, sacrifice, courage, and purposeful leadership of all of you gathered here.”
As a result, the IGP praised the men and officers of the Force for their “restored sense of duty and patriotism.”
“However, I urge you to continue on your upward trajectory.” Because as the national political landscape becomes more active, new threats to our internal security will emerge, posing new challenges for you as strategic police commanders.
“I am confident that you will continue to use your vast experience to assist the nation in deepening our democratic values as we confront these looming threats.”
The IGP, on the other hand, reassured Nigerians that the Force management team would “employ appropriate frameworks that will engender a fair, peaceful, secure, and credible electoral process in both the Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections, as well as during the upcoming 2023 general elections” as “the lead agency in the election security process.”
IGP Alkali said the Force is currently working to improve the capacity of its officers in election security management in preparation for the 2023 general elections.
“I wish to use this opportunity to re-assure Nigerians that the Nigeria Police are working effectively with the Military, Department of State Services, the Ministry of Transport, and the Nigerian Railway Corporation toward evolving a resilient security architecture that will address current threats on a long-term basis,” the IGP said of the new measures put in place to protect travellers on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
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“In the meantime, we’ve deployed our air assets for aerial surveillance to support the ground police teams, in addition to upscaling our patrol operations along the highway.”
“In addition, we have re-energized ‘Operation Safer Highway’ with the injection of more patrol vehicles and personnel across the country,” he said, speaking about the security situation in the South East.
“We’ve also bolstered ‘Operation Restore Peace,’ the Special Anti-Secessionist Operation in the South East, by deploying more special operational units and Force assets.”
