By Hassan Zaggi
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, has disclosed that it arrested 992 criminals in 2019.
The breakdown, according to a statement by the Command Spokesman, Manzah Anjuguri, include 210 armed robbery suspects, 29 kidnapping suspects, 77 one chance robbery/fraudster suspects, 86 car theft suspects, 42 drug peddling suspects, and 35 Cultism suspects, while 513 suspects were arrested for petty theft and house breaking.
The exhibits recovered within the same period, he said, included 81 firearms, 118 live ammunition, 60 stolen cars, cutlasses, daggers, knife, and housebreaking equipment, among others.
“Building on its successes for of 2019, the Command recently paraded 51 suspects arrested between December 27, 2019, to January, 2020, for armed robbery, cultism, kidnapping, rape, culpable homicide, impersonation, etc.
“The exhibits paraded alongside the arrested suspects include 10 firearms, 125 rounds of live ammunition, 12 cutlasses, one car, one Tricycle, 74 phones, and many other items,” the statement revealed.
The operatives of the Command also foiled many other attempt by some armed robbery suspects to rob a bank at Mpape on December 28, 2019.
“The five suspects linked to the crime have been arrested, the investigation has also been concluded and the court has fixed February 14, 2020, as the date for their arraignment at High Court 22 Wuse Zone 2,” the statement clarified.
The Command therefore, vowed that it will not rest on its oars until criminal elements are flushed out of FCT.
It therefore, called on the residents of the FCT, express their views about the activities of the Command objectively and carry out due diligence by getting their facts right before going to the press.
“Some recent negative and exaggerated reports on insecurity in Abuja were aimed at belittling the laudable and obvious crime fighting successes recorded by the Command, in collaboration with well-meaning FCT residents.
“It is imperative to set the records straight by informing the public that the FCT Police Command in its effort to ensure the protection of lives and property and render quality service delivery to the public, after wide consultation with leaders of thought and relevant stakeholders, drew up a Policing plan, which guided its policing activities in 2019.
“The 2019 FCT Policing Plan, an initiative of the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Bala Ciroma, with support from the Nigeria Policing Plan (NPP) was designed to address Drug Abuse, Theft/Housebreaking, One Chance Robbery, Armed Robbery, Car Theft, kidnapping, Cultism among others.
“Consequent upon the effort of the Command, five suspects credibly identified to be secret informants to kidnappers were arrested in Abaji in 2019, lending great support to the feat attained in addressing kidnapping in the axis,” the statement explained.
