In its annual report, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said it had made great strides, including rescuing 1,581 people in 2024.
This was said by Kayode Egbetokun, Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), during a year-end meeting with strategic police managers on Tuesday.
IGP Egbetokun told the audience at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, “The Nigeria Police Force made significant progress in combating crime in the year under review, which resulted in the arrest of 30,313 suspects for a variety of serious offences, including kidnapping, cultism, murder, rape, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.”
“We also rescued 1,581 victims who had been kidnapped, recovered 1,984 different firearms, 23,250 rounds of ammunition, and 1,438 stolen vehicles.”
In the “fight against kidnapping,” he claimed, the police have “intensified our efforts” and achieved “substantial success.”
“The June 30, 2024, rescue of three Indian and one Nigerian national in Ogun State is a prime example,” Egbetokun stated. “The victims were safely rescued despite being ambushed by gunfire, and two kidnappers were neutralised in a subsequent raid.”
The IGP claims that the police have also achieved great strides in “cybercrime enforcement.”
The police chief went on to say, “Detectors discovered a significant fraud scheme, recovering N3.9 billion and apprehending individuals connected to a multi-bank scam.” “130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals, involved in international cybercrime operations were apprehended in November as a result of a concerted raid.”
The IGP stated that police officer wellbeing “remained a top priority,” notwithstanding some worries about it.
“The Nigeria Police Insurance Company’s launch aims to improve our officers’ insurance and welfare packages,” stated Egbetokun.
“The NPF Group Life Insurance Scheme has paid out more than N12 billion in insurance payouts to 4,223 recipients.”
He pledged not “to rest on our laurels” in the upcoming year, beginning with the holiday season and thanked officers for their “tireless service” to the Force.
IGP Egbetokun stated, “We are dedicated to providing strong security during the holiday season, with increased vigilance to protect lives and property.”
