The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has made an arrest of 271 murder and homicide suspects and the recovery of 111 stolen vehicles over the past month.
In a statement released by the NPF, the activities were led by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun in efforts to combat violent crime.
Alongside the murder suspects, the Force also arrested 295 individuals for armed robbery, 186 kidnappers, and 71 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms.
Additionally, police operations resulted in the recovery of 185 firearms and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.
The Inspector-General explained that the success of these operations is due to “several strategies and tactics” which have played a crucial role in addressing crime swiftly and effectively. Police Force reinstated its dedication to reducing crime across the country.
Other arrests
In addition to these cases, the Nigeria Police Force has made remarkable progress in tackling other forms of violent crime. The month-long operations also resulted in the arrest of 199 suspects for sexual-related offences and 143 suspects connected to cultism.
The police also rescued 129 kidnapped victims, to combat the growing menace of kidnapping in various parts of the country.
The NPF’s continuous efforts to crack down on criminal syndicates led to the disruption of several organized crime rings, including a gunrunning syndicate of John Danladi, Mohammed Munkail, Manasseh William, and Muhammadu Haddi operating in the Bauchi-Plateau region.
The leader of the syndicate, Taimako Mato, previously served as a weapon-handling instructor at a Boko Haram camp.
Mato was known for procuring and distributing prohibited weapons to various buyers through his network. The confiscated items included 1 PKT Machine Gun, 40 rounds of 37.2mm ammunition, and 95 rounds of 62mm cartridge ammunition.
Nigeria Police Force emphasized its determination to bring criminal activities to their lowest level while maintaining strict adherence to the Rule of Law.
What you should know
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), like many other security agencies in the country, faces chronic underfunding and insufficient budget allocations.
This financial strain has hindered the Force’s ability to fully modernize its operations and enhance its capacity to tackle crimes effectively.
Recently, Germany and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) secured an €8.5 million (about $9.4 million) agreement to support ongoing police reform efforts in Nigeria.
This project is part of a larger €21 million commitment from Germany aimed at improving police accountability, transparency, and professionalism.
These reforms have been ongoing since 2021 and include enhancing the Nigeria Police Force’s internal oversight through the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), which addresses misconduct between officers and citizens.
The reforms also emphasize the importance of external oversight bodies such as the Police Service Commission and the National Human Rights Commission, ensuring transparency in police operations.