Following the recent spate of kidnappings in the FCT and concerns of citizens, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Monday disclosed that unrelenting efforts by operatives of the FCT Command have resulted in the rescue of six kidnapped victims in Guzape and Kwaku areas while three kidnappers were overpowered and arrested after a shootout.
IGP Egbetokun who was speaking during a strategic meeting he held with DIGs, AIGs and Commissioners of Police in Abuja also disclosed that Police operatives in Anambra State intercepted a consignment of illicit arms intended for distribution to IPOB/ESN camps in various locations within the South East Geopolitical Zone while arresting a gunrunner at Abuja Park, Onitsha, in possession of twenty-two (22) semi-automatic pump action guns and 625 live cartridges.
Egbetokun also said that “On the 14th and 15th December 2023, during a covert rescue operation carried out in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State and Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State respectively, a total of 23 kidnapped victims including kidnapped students of the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, were rescued unhurt while two (2) notorious bandits, fell to the superior firepower of Police operatives after a fierce gun due
He said, ‘Within the last ten (10) weeks, the Force recorded significant successes in reducing crime rates across the country. This was attained through a combination of intelligence-led operations, community engagements and proactive policing.
“Within this period, our men were able to rescue a total number of one hundred and thirty – four (134) kidnap victims, arrest three hundred and seventy-five (375) suspected kidnappers as well as five hundred and seventy-eight (578) armed robbery suspects in various operations across the country.
“A total of four hundred and thirty-one (431) suspects were arrested for rape and other sexual related offences, seven hundred and twenty- four (724) suspects arrested for murder/homicide cases while two thousand, three hundred and forty-three (2,343)
were apprehended for other criminal offences out of which four hundred and thirty – three (433) were suspected cultists.
“The Force was also able to recover four hundred and nineteen (419) firearms of various types and a total of four thousand, two hundred and thirty – five (4,235) different calibers of ammunition.
“Aside from these figures, the Force recorded many breakthroughs in the investigation of some major criminal occurrences within the period. You will recall the deadly Otukpo bank robbery of 20th October 2023, during which the Divisional Police Officer, Otukpo Division, and many other innocent Nigerians lost their lives and huge sums of money carted away from three commercial banks.
“The unrelenting efforts of our men working with technically generated intelligence paid off as during an encounter with the dare-devil robbers, five (5) of them were neutralised while four (4) were arrested and are currently in custody assisting police investigators.
“A total of nine (9) AK47 rifles and five thousand and thirteen (5,013) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition were recovered from them.