The Police Command in Enugu State says it arrested 83 criminal suspects and rescued 20 kidnapped victims within the state from January 1, 2024, till date.
The offences for which the suspects were arrested included abduction, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, defilement, and vandalism, among other crimes committed within the state in the period under review.
The state commissioner of police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing newsmen on the successes of the command since the beginning of the year.
Uzuegbu noted that 46 firearms of different calibres were recovered, as well as 125 ammunition of different calibres, within the period under review.
According to him, 36 motor vehicles were recovered; six tricycles were recovered; and 15 motorcycles were also recovered by gallant and eagle-eyed crime-fighting officers and men of the command.
He said many of the arrested suspects had been arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Service Custodial Centre, while others would be prosecuted accordingly once investigations are concluded.
The commissioner said that the proactive and people-centred policing approaches of the command had started yielding the expected results.
“I wish to specially thank the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, for the immense support his administration has continued to extend to the police in the state.
“In the same vein, I profoundly thank and appreciate the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for his visionary and pragmatic leadership style, which has brought about the policing strides recorded in Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole.
“Additionally, I express my immense gratitude to my colleagues in sister security agencies and the entire security stakeholders in Enugu State for all the collaborative support we enjoyed in 2023, which has continued into 2024.
“I also want to thank and appreciate my officers and men for their diligence, hard work, and dedication to duty, which have resulted in the operational successes recorded.
“I urge them to remain focused and committed to actualizing the mandates of the Nigeria Police Force in Enugu State,” he said.
The commissioner maintained that discipline remained the bedrock of the Nigeria Police, adding: “I caution officers and men to shun acts of corruption, unprofessionalism, and moral debasement, which bring with them severe disciplinary consequences.”
According to him, officers and men must remain professional, firm, upright, and diligent in the performance of their duties.
He warned unrepentant criminals to turn over a new leaf, as “we shall, more than ever, turn up the heat and make Enugu State more uncomfortable for them and their activities.”
He said, “And if they fail to repent, then we shall stop at nothing to ruthlessly deal with them.
“I also want to strongly caution rumour mongers, rabble-rousers, and peddlers of fake, misinformative, and disinformative news in Enugu State to desist forthwith, as the police would not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone found wanting, in accordance with extant laws, particularly the Cybercrime Act.
“There is no doubt that the task of tackling the increasing security challenges in our society is becoming increasingly daunting.
“Nonetheless, the assurance I bring to the good people of Enugu State is that we will remain focused and unflinching in our commitment to enthrone a crime-free and peaceful environment for all and sundry to thrive in their legitimate enterprises.”
Uzuegbu urged the citizenry to remain law-abiding, security-conscious, and continue to support the police, through the provision of credible and actionable security information, while also reporting suspected criminals and their activities to the nearest police station.
