Police rescued 1,907 kidnapped victims in the last one year, says IGP

The Nigeria Police Force has rescued 1, 907 kidnapped victims in the past 12 months, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has said.

The IGP who spoke on Thursday at the monthly Conference of Senior Police Officers, added that the Force also arrested 35,496 suspects for their participation in various crimes and recovered 2,750 firearms, 22,569 ammunition, and 1,540 vehicles nationwide.

Highlighting the progress made and the challenges confronted over the past year, Mr Egbetokun noted that the Force faced considerable challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery. Despite these threats, the Nigeria Police Force remained resilient and dedicated to its mandate.

He commended officers for their hard work and dedication, emphasizing the positive results achieved through capacity building, service improvements, and strengthened relationships with sister services and the public.

Reflecting on the year’s accomplishments, the IGP acknowledged the vital achievements of his administration in one year including the presentation of a total of ₦9.85 billion to families of deceased officers under the Group Life Assurance Scheme and the IGP Family Welfare Scheme, the declaration of April 7 as National Police Day by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the promotion of inaugural Police Commendation and Awards Ceremony, the promotion of 33,867 officers based on merit, competence, and available vacancies.

Also is the advancement of infrastructural development which will culminate in the commissioning of some projects such as the Nigeria Police Resource Centre, the International Conference Centre, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), the Force Intelligence Building, the Force Public Relations School, the Police Intelligence School located in Share, Kwara State, Evidence/Exhibits Storage facilities, and newly acquired operational assets including vehicles, APCs, Drones, Gun trucks etc

The Legal/Prosecutions Section has successfully prosecuted 29,052 criminal cases, securing 16,200 convictions.

The conference also focused on the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo States, with the IGP outlining security plans to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in ensuring smooth elections.