By Monday Ijeh

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Dr Olukayode Egbetokun, said the Nigeria Police Force made remarkable achievements in 2024 in spite of challenges.

Egbetokun said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of his end of year conference with strategic police managers, consisting of officers from the rank of commissioners of police and above.

“Reflecting on 2024, it is clear that both the Nigeria Police Force and the country at large faced a range of security challenges, but we also achieved notable successes.

“We dealt with a variety of internal threats, such as banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and armed robbery, as well as external threats posed by groups like ISWAP and the Lakurawa terrorists in the North West.

“The country also confronted other critical issues, including cultism, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, terrorism financing, money laundering, and cybercrimes, especially among our youth.

“Protests and civil unrest added to the challenges,” he said.

The I-G said in spite of the difficulties, the Nigeria Police Force had shown remarkable resilience, collaborating with sister agencies to ensure law and order.

According to him, throughout 2024, we made substantial strides in enhancing the safety and security of Nigerians.

He said the force displayed remarkable dedication in combating criminal activities across urban and rural areas.

“Through revitalised crime prevention efforts, we have made significant progress in reducing crime, ensuring public safety and improving service delivery.

“These accomplishments reflect our firm commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

“Our efforts have been comprehensive, leveraging modern technology, intelligence gathering, and community policing,” he said

Egbetokun said that the strategies had not only increased the operational efficiency of the force, but fostered stronger collaborations with local communities as well as building trust between the police and the public.

“While we acknowledge the complexity of the challenges, the Nigeria Police had remained steadfast in its resolve to continue to address the challenges head-on to secure the future of the country.

“Despite our best efforts to foster trust and confidence with the public and our strong emphasis on discipline and professionalism, a small number of our officers have unfortunately continued to engage in behavior that damages our reputation.

“This has been a significant challenge for us in 2024 and to make matters worse, we have also faced false publications aimed at tarnishing our organisation’s image.

“This not only undermines our credibility but also erodes the trust we have worked hard to build with the community,” he said.

He said the force would be committed to addressing the challenges head-on, exploring innovative solutions to promote transparency, accountability and excellence.

Egbetokun said the force had achieved major successes in tackling crime, leading to the arrest of 30,313 suspects for a range of serious offenses, including kidnapping, cultism, murder, rape, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.

According to him, we also recovered 1,984 assorted firearms, 23,250 rounds of ammunition, 1,438 stolen vehicles and rescued 1,581 kidnapped victims.

“In the fight against kidnapping, we intensified our efforts and achieved substantial success. A prime example is the rescue of one Nigerian and three Indian nationals on June 30 in Ogun.

“Despite being ambushed by gunfire, the victims were safely rescued, and two kidnappers were neutralised in a subsequent raid.

“We also recovered five AK-47 rifles, ammunition, and communication equipment. This operation demonstrates our capacity to combat kidnapping and criminal enterprises effectively,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz