4th April, 2024
By Monday Ijeh
The Inspector-General of Police, I-G Olukayode Egbetokun said 3,685 suspects have been arrested over various criminal offences while 401 kidnapped victims were rescued in various operations by operatives across the country in the past eight weeks.
Egbetokun added that police also recovered 216 firearms, 3,601 ammunition and 82 vehicles nationwide during the same period.
The I-G who spoke on Thursday in Abuja during a conference with Strategic Police Managers, consisting of officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) and above added that the force recoded 141 cases of terrorism/secessionist attacks, 537, murder, 126, armed robbery, 214, kidnapping and 39, unlawful possession of firearms within the period under review.
He added that the substantial advancement was propelled by the execution of diverse strategies aimed at mitigating the escalating trend of criminal activities across the country.
Speaking further at the event, Egbetokun urged Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), Commissioners of Police (CPs) and Police Public Relations Officers to engage in dissemination of timely and accurate information on police achievements.
He said effective collaboration among Strategic Police Managers, comprising Zonal AIGs, Command CPs and their respective Police Public Relations Officers was central to successes of the police.
“The dissemination of timely and accurate information regarding our achievements at the grassroots level is pivotal in fostering public trust and confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
“It is incumbent upon us to maintain transparency and accountability in our communication efforts, ensuring that the public is well-informed about our endeavours to maintain law and order.
“All Strategic Managers are therefore charged to improve on this salient professional relationship to project all our achievements,” he said.
He said the idea was to improve public confidence in the police and bridge trust gap between the police and the public.
Egbetokun said the Nigeria Police was in the process of conducting a comprehensive review of the Police Regulation and introduction of a Scheme of Service for the Force.
According to him, these critical undertakings are aimed at modernising our legal framework to align with contemporary policing standards backed by Police Act, 2020.
He said the focus was to enhance the welfare and professional development of officers and men as well as to foster a culture of excellence and accountability within the Nigeria Police.
The I-G said the Nigeria Police Force under his leadership was poised to ensuring that the welfare of personnel was prioritised.
He said the Force had successfully, through unrelenting efforts, secured the release of insurance claims of deceased police officers which had accumulated for about eight years.
“We have in the last nine months cumulatively presented cheques amounting to N7.3 billion to 2,514 families of deceased police officers.
“The Force has recently concluded the registration process of the NPF Insurance Company Limited with the Corporate Affairs Commission and we are steadily progressing towards the operationalisation of the company.
“The new company will aid the processing of our insurance funds directly from the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, we are unrelenting in finding a solution to the agitation of police retirees, arising from their poor pension earnings and the quest for enhanced pension.
He said this had culminated into protests and demand for exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Egbetokun said the situation, had in the past few years not only been a source of apprehension for serving officers, it had consistently put the force uncomfortably in media space.
The I-G said the Force leadership was working on a scheme that would put an end to the agitations and put smiles on the lips of every policeman, either serving or retired.