Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday, disclosed that between January and April this year, 1,071 persons lost their lives in crime and crime-related incidents across the country.
He disclosed this in his address to Northern Traditional Rulers Council at a meeting in Kaduna, Kaduna State Capital.
The council had convened the meeting to deliberate on killings across the country, especially in the North, as occasioned by Boko Haram insurgency, banditry and other criminalities.
The IGP further disclosed that crimes statistics indicated that in the period under review, no fewer than 685 persons were kidnapped across the country.
He said 767 of the persons killed, which represented 71.62 per cent of the figure, were from the northern region.
According to him, the North-West geopolitical zone recorded 436 cases of death, making it the highest in the country, followed by the North-Central, which recorded 250, while the South-South zone recorded 130 cases.
He further said the data showed Zamfara State recording 203 murder incidences, topping the national prevalence scale.
This, he said, was followed by Kaduna State with 112 reported cases while Benue State recorded 90 cases.
According to the IGP, “most of the murder cases recorded in the northern geopolitical zones are linked with banditry and communal violence.
“In relation to banditry, a total of 175 incidents were reported between January and April this year with Zamfara State recording the highest incident of 104, followed by Katsina State with 21 and Sokoto State with 19 cases.”
Giving details on the incidence of kidnapping, the IGP said 546 or 79.8 per cent on the national total were recorded in the three northern geopolitical zones with the highest zonal prevalence occurring in the North-West where 365 persons were reportedly kidnapped within the period.
“This is followed by the North-Central geopolitical zones where 145 persons were kidnapped. It is pertinent to mention that Zamfara State has the highest national kidnap rate of 281 victims in what has been directly linked to activities of bandits in the state.
“This is followed by Kogi State with 65 and Niger, 51, within the period,” IGP said.
In relation to the robbery, the IGP disclosed that a total of 212 major robbery incidents were reported nationally within the period under review.
Adamu further said the northern region recorded the highest robbery cases with 130 major robbery incidence.
This, he said, represented 59.43 per cent of the national total incidence.
“Instructively, the North-Central geopolitical zone with a total of 81 robbery incidence represents the locality with the highest geopolitical rate while Niger State, FCT and Zamfara State with 32, 23 and 18 incidents respectively occupy the three topmost states in the national robbery profile,” Adamu said.
In an attempt to address the threats within the shortest possible time, the Nigeria Police, he said, recently launched “Operation Puff Adder,” an operation the police boss said was aimed at strengthening state commands in reclaiming the public space from heinous criminals.
“With an emphasis on Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi and Katsina states which constitute the areas with the highest prevalence of the threats, the operation, which was launched on April 5, 2019, is currently being extended to other parts of the country,” Adamu said.
As a result of the initiative, the police boss said between January and April, a total 261 kidnapping suspects were arrested with 131 of the arrests made within the first three weeks of the introduction of “Operation Puff Adder” in April.
He added that 70.78 per cent of the arrests were achieved in the northern part of the country.
Similarly, a total of 535 robbery suspects were also arrested between January and April, with 201 apprehended in April, following the launch of ‘Operation Puff Adder’ with 48.97 per cent of this total recorded in the northern part of the country.
“In addition, 326 murder suspects were also arrested with 61 per cent of this total arrested in the northern region of Nigeria, while a total of 361 firearms were recovered from criminal elements across the country with 139 of these recoveries made following the launch of Operation Puff Adder,” he added.
Adamu further said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed him to immediately implement community policing strategy across the country, a structure, he said, would enable traditional rulers to maintain cultural and social control over their subjects.
In his remarks, chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhannad Saad Abubakar, called for the inclusion of the traditional institution in addressing the security challenges.
The Sultan also absolved the traditional rulers from accusations from certain quarters that some of them were aiding and abetting the criminals terrorising the country.
He said traditional rulers would never be a party to any insurgency or otherwise, though he asserted that there could be some bad eggs.
He described the security challenges facing the northern part of the country as abnormal, adding that the region was not used to the kind of threats as witnessed now in the past decades.
He appealed that the Tuesday meeting should serve as the last time such would be held, asking that government should collaborate to overcome the challenges.
Kindly contact us @ Naijalivetv@gmail.com
Call or Whatsapp: 07035262029, 07016666694, 08129340000
