TheCable

Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police, says the police arrested 6,531 high-profile suspects in various operations in 2019.

He disclosed this at the end of the year conference of senior police officers in Abuja, on Monday.

Adamu said the suspects include those who were involved in armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, and murder.

He said the police also recovered 2,037 firearms, 21,870 ammunition, and 1,662 vehicles.

“Between January 2019 to date, a total of 6,531 high-profile suspects were arrested in various police operations. This comprises of a total of 2,627 armed robbery suspects; 1,621 suspected cultists; 1,527 kidnapping suspects; and 758 murder suspects,” he said.

“Within the same period, we also recovered a total of 2,037 firearms of various calibre and descriptions; 21,870 ammunition; and 1,662 vehicles. Similarly, 945 kidnapping victims were rescued in various police-led operations in the country.”

The police chief commended senior officers and other members of the force for their contribution to the safety of Nigerians.

He said the force has acquired more patrol vehicles, electronic surveillance vehicles, civil disorder management trucks and special operations vans.

He also said the force has completed the national command and control centre as well as the first phase of the police crime and incident database centre.

“All these achievements would not have been possible without the sacrifice of all of you seated here as well as other officers across all ranks who are out there sacrificing day and night for the safety and security of citizens of our beloved nation,” he said.

“Our intelligence generation and utilisation capacity, as well as our operational competence have been significantly enhanced such that today, I can confidently confirm that we have succeeded in addressing the prevalent crimes we inherited as well as aided in the entrenchment of our democratic values.

“It is also corroborated by the fact that our capacity to prevent crimes, disrupt highly organised and deadly criminal networks and apprehend high-profile felons has been strengthened, thereby engendering unprecedented volume of arrests and the phenomenal reduction in the rate of crime.”