The Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of no fewer than 29,000 suspects over the past year for crimes including kidnapping, rape, murder, gun-running, and cultism. This was revealed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement obtained by PUNCH Metro on Thursday.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Adejobi detailed that these arrests were part of ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and security of Nigerians.
According to the breakdown provided, the arrests included:
– 4,826 suspects for armed robbery
– 3,078 suspects for kidnapping
– 2,479 suspects for sexual offences
– 1,243 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms
– 3,523 suspects for cultism
– 3,381 suspects for murder/homicide
– 13,402 suspects for other offences
Additionally, the police successfully rescued 1,750 kidnap victims and recovered significant amounts of illegal items, including 2,566 firearms, 19,510 rounds of ammunition, and 1,475 vehicles and motorcycles.
Adejobi also provided updates on the legal proceedings related to these arrests. “The NPF has successfully prosecuted 29,152 criminal cases across the country within the year. Out of these, 17,679 cases have been conclusively dispensed with, while 11,576 cases are still undergoing trial,” he said. He added that 51 cases are under appeal at various appellate courts and that there have been 16,200 convictions, with offenders now serving various forms of punishment for their crimes.
This significant enforcement effort underscores the police force’s commitment to tackling crime and improving public safety across Nigeria.
