Police arrest over 4000 criminal suspects in 7 months

The Police also secured the release of over 500 kidnapped Nigerians within the same period.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has announced that a total of 4,187 criminal suspects were arrested nationwide by the Nigeria Police Force since January 2019.

Adamu made this revelation during a conference with senior police officers on Tuesday, July 30 where he also revealed figures for arms recovered.

"This includes one thousand, six-hundred and twenty-nine (1,629) armed robbery suspects; one thousand and fifty-three (1,053) suspected kidnappers; one thousand and twenty-three (1,023) cultists, and four hundred and eighty-two (482) murder suspects," he said.

The Police boss said a total of 1,181 firearms of various descriptions and calibre, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket launchers, were also recovered in various police operations across the country within the same period.

IGP Mohammed Adamu [Guardian] Pulse Nigeria

He further revealed that 506 kidnapped victims were also safely rescued from kidnappers, while 389 stolen vehicles were also recovered from criminals.

He said, "It is pertinent to mention that of the rescued victims, three hundred (300) were secured in Zamfara State alone with two hundred and forty-nine (249) of this number rescued between 9th to 23rd July, 2019 from bandits and militias operating in the forests in and around Zamfara State."

Adamu announced the plan of the Force to recruit 40,000 community policing officers as part of its community-focused policing architecture.

The implementation of the Community Policing strategy is expected to bridge the gap between the Police and the citizens in a manner that will enhance optimal, cost-effective, and sustainable law enforcement service delivery.

Adamu said Tuesday's conference is important to keep officers updated with the dynamics of crime and to jointly discuss pathways towards either strengthening existing strategies or evolving new approaches.