The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has called for tougher legislations against kidnapping and banditry including possible state seizure of assets linked to illicit proceeds from these and other heinous crimes. This, the IGP believes, will act as a disincentive to potential kidnappers and other violent criminals.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, the IGP made this call on Wednesday, while addressing a delegation of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Nasarawa State Chapter, led by Alhaji Aminu Muazu Maifata, who paid him the traditional Salah visit in his official quarters in Abuja.
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He noted that the call became necessary against background of the increasingly daring resort to these forms of crimes by criminal elements in the society.
The IGP also used the opportunity of the visit to apprise the visitors on the successes recorded by “Operation Puff Adder” in the ongoing fight against criminal elements across the country. He stated that since the launch of Operation Puff Adder on 5th April 2019, till date, a total of Sixty-Three (63) Kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt by Police Operatives.
In a similar vein, two thousand, one hundred and seventy-five (2,175) suspects were arrested for the following offences: Kidnapping – eight hundred and fifty two (852), armed robbery – eight hundred and sixty five (865), murder – three hundred and fifty-nine (359) and cultism – ninety-nine (99).
With respect to arms recovery, the IGP noted that eight hundred and thirty-four (834) arms, including two (2) – rocket launchers, nineteen thousand and nine (19,009) live ammunition were recovered with Oyo State recording the highest number of nine thousand, five hundred ( 9,500) live ammunition. The IGP stated that the Police are rejigging their strategies to ensure proactive interception of illicit weapons destined to our country and at the same time mop up unauthorised weapons in circulation.
According to the IGP, while a good number of the cases are already being prosecuted in courts across the country, many of the cases are still under active investigation owing largely to the complexity of investigating and managing organised crimes.
While commending his men for a good job, the IGP stated that the mind-boggling size of the arrests and arms recovered so far was a testament to the efficacy of Operation Puff Adder and more importantly to the unalloyed and unwavering support of the public to the Nigeria Police and other Security agencies, the statement added.
