.Nab Otukpo bank robbers
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has said that police operatives in the country have arrested 375 suspected kidnappers, 578 armed robbery suspects and 431 suspected rapists.
The IGP also noted that the High Command has arrested four suspects in Otukpo bank raid and killed five.
Egbetokun spoke at the Goodluck Jonathan Peacekeeping Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he presided over the last conference with strategic police managers for the year 2023.
The conference focused on discussing salient achievements of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) within a period of 10 weeks, reinforcing deployments for the upcoming Christmas season, and formalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States (U.S.) Government’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) regarding the operationalisation of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS).
During the gathering, the IGP underscored the critical importance of seamless collaboration and efficient coordination among the police and other law enforcement, as well as security agencies, particularly as the festive season approaches.
He applauded the Police Force for its substantial strides in crime prevention and control. Highlighted accomplishments include a noticeable reduction in various crime categories, attributed to proactive policing strategies and community engagement initiatives.
In anticipation of the Christmas season, the IGP announced high-level deployments across strategic locations to deter criminal activities and ensure safety of citizens.
The IGP noted that the efforts of police operatives have led to significant achievements in 10 weeks, including the rescue of 134 kidnap victims, arrest of 375 suspected kidnappers, 578 armed robbery suspects, 431 suspects for rape and other sexual related offences, 724 murder/homicide suspects, 2,343 suspects for other criminal offences, as well as the recovery of 419 firearms and 4,235 ammunition of various calibre.
Notable amongst the cases busted within the period under review include the arrest of the armed robbers responsible for the deadly Otukpo bank robbery of October 20, 2023, during which the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Otukpo Division, and many other innocent Nigerians were killed, as huge sums of money were carted away with from three commercial banks.
Also, the rescue of eight students of the Federal University Lafia, who were kidnapped on December 7, 2023, in Nasarawa State and the interception of a consignment of illicit arms allegedly intended for distribution to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN) camps, the arrest of the gunrunner and recovery of 22 semi-automatic pump action guns, as well as 625 live cartridges.
