The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered all the Commissioners of Police at the State Commands to mop up arms and ammunition from circulation in the country.
Egbetokun, also threatened to clamp down on buyers of stolen items in panteker markets and undisclosed popular Abuja market, that is notorious for trading in stolen gold and jewelries.
The Force Spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made this disclosure in Abuja, while parading some of the arrested suspects currently being investigated by the force.
Adejobi also disclosed that no fewer than1,284 suspects were arrested, 284 firearms recovered, and 97 kidnapped victims rescued, in six weeks.
According to him, the Nigeria Police has continued to strive as police records the arrest of 307-armed robbery suspects, 296 kidnapping suspects, 301 homicide suspects, 176 rape/defilement suspects, and 204 suspected cultists, recovers 284 firearms, 6702 ammunition of various calibres, 107 vehicles and rescues 97 victims in the space of 6 weeks.
He said the Nigeria police in more operations also apprehended a notorious robbery syndicate operating in the Jos-North/Jos South region of Plateau State, putting an end to their streak of nefarious activities.
Adejobi explained that a syndicate with 16 members, nine of whom are involved in stealing motorcycles and tricycles around Jos Metro, and parading themselves as Police Officers using a fake ID and illegally confiscating motorcycles and tricycles from motorists, were amongst those paraded.
He said: “There is a cartel of people who are interested and who are experts in stealing gold in houses in Abuja. Before now, we have recorded more than five cases, similar cases of house break-ins, stealing, in most cases, armed robbery, because once they are armed, the case is armed robbery. So, they will go to people’s houses in Abuja, forcefully gain their entrance, and look for gold.
“And there’s a particular market in Abuja that we are working on, and if possible, we would clamp down on that market because all investigations, all revelations tell us that these people are into this dirty business, and they are the ones receiving these stolen items from these bad elements. So, I’m sure our operatives are still spreading their tentacles to get to this market and to go after other members of this syndicate, or those who have ventured into this dirty deal of stealing and selling gold in Abuja”.
Adejobi said, the zeal of the inspector general of police and the present leadership of the Nigerian police force to support the government in the fight against money laundering.
The IGP, he said, recently established the anti-money laundering unit at the force headquarters in Abuja, to leverage the already existing working relationship between the police and other anti-graft agencies.
“Also, in line with Interpol mandate to curb terrorism financing and international crimes amongst its member states, the IGP has carefully selected trained financial and cybercrime experts to dominate the unit for efficiency and effectiveness. In the same vein, the Nigerian police force has taken the bull by the horns to amplify the efforts of the federal government in combating oil theft and economic sabotage,” he said.
Ikechukwu Aleke
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