As the nation marks the first anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has made significant progress in reducing crime, demonstrating the effectiveness of intensified operations and strategic efforts to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians.

Over the past year, the NPF has apprehended 4,826 armed robbery suspects, 3,078 kidnapping suspects, 2,479 suspects for rape and sexual crimes, 1,243 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms, 3,523 suspects for cultism, 3,381 suspects for murder and homicide, and 13,402 suspects for various other offenses. These operations have also led to the rescue of 1,750 kidnap victims and the recovery of 2,566 firearms, 19,510 rounds of ammunition, and 1,475 vehicles and motorcycles nationwide.

The NPF has successfully prosecuted 29,152 criminal cases across the country within the year. Out of these, 17,679 cases have been conclusively resolved, leading to 16,200 convictions, while 11,576 cases are still undergoing trial. Additionally, 51 cases are currently under appeal at the respective appellate courts.

In a recent operation, the Police paraded 19 suspects involved in various illicit activities. Among these cases is the apprehension of Muhammad Abubakar, 24, and Shehu Muhammad, 35, from Zamfara State. They were found with an AK-47 rifle and magazines, and were responsible for a series of robberies in Benin and multiple kidnappings in Okene, Kogi State. They had collected a total of 3.3 million Naira in ransom from four operations.

Another notable case involved the arrest of a gang comprising Ibrahim Shehu, 30, Ibrahim Ardo, 32, Ibrahim Amodu, 50, Ibrahim Mohammed, 50, and Ayo Johnson, 30, who were involved in supplying arms and ammunition to armed militias and bandits in the North Central region. The Police recovered one AK-47 rifle, three AK-49 rifles, 80 rounds of live ammunition, and 57 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition from the suspects.

Additionally, gun runners Clement Joshua, 52, Raymond Emanya, 65, and Ishaya Ajiji Musa, 40, were arrested in Plateau State. They confessed to supplying arms and ammunition to criminal elements in several states. Recovered items included a bulletproof jacket, a pump action shotgun with breech number 22P-0397, binoculars, 32 red cartridges, 50 white RIO cartridges, hunter’s t-shirts, a cutlass, and more.

Inspector General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun commended the NPF’s commitment to ensuring a safer and more secure country. He also appreciated the public’s continued support, which has been instrumental in achieving these milestones. He urged all citizens to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station for proper investigation.