Security situation now stabilised in Nigeria, says IGP, Adamu

The Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed  Adamu on Monday said the security  situation across the country has been stabilised.


Adamu stated this while speaking at the South-west Security Network Summit held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

The IGP stressed that the Nigeria Police has so far succeeded in stabilizing the level of insecurity in the country but need to do more.


According to him, no fewer than 2,015 armed robbers and 1,154 kidnappers have been arrested by police so far this year while 1,183 suspected cultists have been also arrested in the country. 

“Generally speaking, the security situation across the country has been stabilised. However, there are isolated cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in the southwest, particularly, along Benin-Ore-Lagos Highway and across Ondo State. The reality is that the current concerted operations of the police and other security agencies across the country, particularly along the Niger-Kogi-FCT-kaduna-Kastina and Zamfara areas have engendered a dispersal and relocation of some of the criminals to new localities including the Southwest”, he said.

IGP Adamu also said: “in response to this emerging trend, we have been evaluating and reevaluating our operational strategies while straightening our institutional capacity in relation to the generation of actionable intelligence and the conduct of special operations directed at proactively responding to criminal situations across the country.


“I am delighted to note that ‘operation puff adder’ which we launched as a strategy to stabilise the security profile in the country and other strategies that we have emplaced since January 2019 have so far been a success story. In consequence, between January- August 2019, a total of 552 murder suspects were arrested with 66 such arrests effected in the southwest.

Similarly, 2,015 armed robbery suspects were arrested with 363 of the figure arrested in southwest, while 1,154 kidnapping suspects were also apprehended in various operations. 147 of these were arrested in the southwest. Furthermore, 1,183 suspected cultists have also been arrested with 425 of this figure apprehended in southwestern states. In relation to recoveries, 1,356 firearms of various calibre and description were recovered in various intelligence-led operations by the police with 277 of such recoveries made in the southwestern part of the country.”


Speaking further , IGP Adamu said, “similarly, 21,300 ammunition of various descriptions and calibre were recovered in various intelligence led operations with the highest number of 5,270 ammunition recovered from criminal syndicates in the south west including about 2,700 ammunition recovered in June, 2019 from a cross-border arms smuggling syndicate in Oyo state. Furthermore, 1,541 stolen vehicles were recovered with 482 of such recoveries achieved in the southwest while a total of 837 kidnapping victims were rescued with 106 of such rescues achieved in the Southwest.


“The point being highlighted from these statistics is that the Nigeria Police in recent months have developed capacity and demonstrated the requisite professional zeal such that today, we can confidently say we have the institutional capability not only for preventive actions, but for responding effectively to any crime situation or threat with a view to locating and apprehending the criminal elements and disrupting their criminal enterprises across the country. It is this process that we call on you as strategic security stakeholders in the southwest to support us in strengthening and advancing in the interest of our communal and internal security.  


Oyo state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde in his welcome address, said  his administration was committed to security of the state and its people and will do everything possible to ensure that its people are safe and secured.


“It will be recalled that, as a result of the deteriorating state of security in the South West, and the country at large, on 25th June 2019, in this same City, the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN Commission), held a similar Summit. The Inspector-General of Police was ably represented at the event. It was a consensus that measures to be put in place to address insecurity in the Geopolitical Zone should be based on a regional approach. In furtherance of this noble and lofty ideal, a holistic framework for security of the South West is being put up by the DAWN Commission.”


Governor Makinde added, “Let me at this stage announce that in Oyo State, in the next few days, we shall unveil a security roadmap, focused on the following: Improvement on security infrastructure. Awakening the security consciousness of our people. Encouraging robust partnership of non-state actors, such as the traditional institutions, volunteers, and other well-meaning residents of the state. 

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