Over 4,000 murder suspects arrested under IGP Alkali – Police

The police under the watch of IGP Usman Baba Alkali has arrested no fewer than 4,209 murder suspects and 2,178 alleged kidnappers, statistics made available by the force headquarters has revealed.

According to the data contained in the event brochure of the Conference and Retreat for senior officers holding in Owerri, 3,503 cultists had been arrested across the country, while 4,282 armed robbery suspects were nabbed.

The retreat was tagged “Imperative of a Nigeria Police Strategic Plan for Peaceful Elections”.

In the period under review, IGP Alkali-led police has also arrested 639 terrorists while 380 suspected secessionists were arrested by policemen in the country.

Firearms recovered by detectives countrywide is 2,921, with 58,431 ammunition.

No fewer than 995 stolen vehicles were recovered, with 2,996 kidnapped victims rescued unhurt.

The police report also disclosed that 76,195 suspects were charged to court nationwide, with 16,463 offenders convicted.

In his speech at the opening ceremony of the police retreat, President Muhammadu Buhari noted that he was committed to his pledge at United Nations General Assembly to ensure a peaceful and credible election in 2023.

The Nigerian Leader who touched down at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport Owerri, at around 1.30.pm, was received by the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali.

The IGP also reiterated the commitment of the police towards ensuring an election free of violence and thuggery.
According to Alkali, “The importance of the gathering to the nation lies in the fact that the outcome will be critical to peace and security of our democratic process. This is to the extent that we will engage in a detailed evaluation of all issues relating to the security dynamics of the 2023 General Elections. The importance of this agenda underscores our choice of the Theme of the Conference which is – ‘The Imperative of a Nigeria Police Strategic Plan for Peaceful Elections.

“In this regard, Your Excellency, during the Conference and Retreat, we shall critically and professionally review the pattern and trend of crimes and undertake a detailed security risk assessment with a view to identifying specific trends that could threaten the security and peaceful conduct of the General Elections.

“We intend to draw on the outcome of these initiatives to perfect our Election Security Strategy and Action Plans towards stabilizing the security and political landscape in a manner that will strengthen citizens’ confidence in the electoral process and produce a credible electoral outcome in the 2023 General Elections.

“In aid of this process, I can assure Your Excellency that the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) has undertaken a comprehensive 2023 General Elections Threat Analysis which highlights and geolocated possible threats across all 774 Local Government Areas of the Federation. This Report will be utilized to guide our appreciation of the security space as we finetune our Election Security Action Plan.

“Aside from this, the uniqueness of this Conference and Retreat lies in the fact that it has become an annual event that attracts the largest gathering and broadest representation of strategic police managers across all policing fields, departments, Commands and Formations in the country.

“It, therefore, represents a rare forum for harnessing the broad and diverse professional experiences of the rich array of participants towards taking stock of our institutional achievements, dissecting our challenges, identifying administrative and operational gaps, and re-evaluating our policing strategies. This is with the key goal of strengthening our institutional capacity to project, plan and respond in the most proactive and professional manner to current and evolving crimes and security threats in the country.

“Mr President, Sir, we do appreciate that the countdown to the upcoming general elections may present new sets of security trends which will undoubtedly further task our professionalism and operational competence. Encouraged by Your Excellency’s motivation and support, however, I can assure you that under my watch, the Nigeria Police will not disappoint Your Excellency neither will we fail the nation.

“We are fully committed to giving practical effect to the vision of Your Excellency in bequeathing to the nation a democratic legacy in which our electoral process truly reflects the wishes of the citizens.

“We also assure that we will deploy all available assets and demonstrate the highest level of operational competence that will guarantee a stable internal security space for electioneering campaigns and all other democratic activities to thrive in the drive to engender a credible outcome in the 2023 general elections.

“Having been so charged by Your Excellency, we are already collaborating with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Military, the Intelligence Community and other Sister security Agencies towards presenting a unified national front in this regard.

“This goal, Mr President, is not an option for us. It is a statutory obligation for which Your Excellency has tasked, equipped, and inspired us to achieve. Indeed, I must with all sense of responsibility appreciate Mr President for the consistent support being extended to the Force leadership and the unwavering commitment to the reform of the Nigeria Police Force in the attainment of our Mandate.

“Indeed, history will, undoubtedly, remember Your Excellency as the President with the most impactful agenda for the reform, re-equipment, re-orientation, and modernization of the Nigeria Police Force.

“This is evidenced by the unprecedented achievements of Your Excellency in strengthening the legal frameworks that regulate policing in Nigeria with the landmark assent to three critical Police Bills. These include the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act, the Police Act, 2022 and the Nigeria Police Academy Establishment Act. These laws and the adoption of the Community Policing Model as the Internal Security Strategy of the Country by Your Excellency have combined to change the policing narratives in the country in the most unprecedented form.

“Aside from this, in the area of manpower development, Your Excellency graciously approved and consistently provided budgetary support for the annual recruitment of ten thousand (10,000) additional police Constables. No government in the history of this country has undertaken such a Presidential intervention towards addressing the age-long manpower deficiency of the Force in this consistent and multi-year manner.”

Present at the event were the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, INEC Chairman, who was represented by Maj. General Alkali Modibo (Rtd.) and the police management team.