– Caption: Inspector General of Police
The Nigeria Police Force said it arrested over 1,000 armed robbery, kidnap and cattle rustling suspects within one year of the creation of the Operation Absolute Sanity on the Kaduna/Abuja highways.
Also, the Police Command in Ekiti State on Monday said it had arrested two men in connection with the killing of a twin, Kehinde Olomola in Igede Ekiti.
The command also arrested eight other suspected cultists, who it said had been terrorising Igede Ekiti, in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state and Ado Ekiti in recent times.
The police also arrested a rape suspect and a student of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Tolulope Bamgboye.
The Force, on July 25, 2017, commenced the operation on the highways.
The team includes Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Squad, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad, Force Intelligence Branch and Police Helicopters.
The operation was to complement and augment the on-going Joint Police/Military operations on ground before now.
The force Spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this while addressing newsmen on the arrest of 32 suspects in connection with armed robbery, kidnapping and cattle rustling on Monday in Tafa, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Moshood said that the arrest cut across Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Zamfara and FCT, among others.
He said that the force would not relent in its efforts to reduce crimes to the barest minimum in the country, adding that the operation would be sustained and extended to other parts of the country.
Moshood said that the 32 suspects specialised in attacking travellers on the Kaduna/Abuja highway.
He said that items recovered from the suspects included 22 Ak 47 rifles, one Toyota Corolla car, and 127 AK 47 ammunition.
The spokesman said the suspects, who confessed to the various roles they played in the crimes, would be charged to court on completion of investigation.
Moshood said that contrary to insinuation by members of the public, the police did not release suspects after presenting them to the media.
“The police do not release suspects after parading them as alleged by members of the public,” he said.
He said that the police would always ensure that suspects arrested were prosecuted according to the laws of the land.
Moshood, who said that several convictions had been secured, added that the police and the judiciary must work together to achieve results.
He urged appropriate authority to dispense cases to avoid the recycling of suspects by the police.
Police arrest alleged killers of twin, nine others in Ekiti
Meanwhile, the Police Command in Ekiti State on Monday said it had arrested two men in connection with the killing of a twin, Kehinde Olomola in Igede Ekiti.
The command also arrested eight suspected cultists, who it said had been terrorising Igede Ekiti, in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state and Ado Ekiti in recent times.
It also arrested a rape suspect and a student of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti.
The Police Commissioner, Mr Bello Ahmed, told newsmen in Ado Ekiti that the murder suspects allegedly stabbed the victim in the neck.
Ahmed, who briefed newsmen through the Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said the two were arrested after police got a distress call from Igede Ekiti about the murder incident that occurred on August 28 at Ilamoye in Igede Ekiti.
He said that Olomola died after he was rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, for treatment of a machete cut.
“A team of police operatives upon investigation found one long axe with blood stain at the scene of the crime.
“The two suspects, who had a direct connection with the murder were immediately picked up and are being thoroughly grilled to be able to extract useful information from them,” he said.
The commissioner said the suspects would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of the investigation by detectives.
He said that the suspected cultists, who were alleged to belong to Aye and Eye confraternities were arrested at Odo Igede on August 29.
NAN
