The Nigeria
Police Force said it arrested over 1,000 armed robbery, kidnapping and cattle
rustling suspects within one year of the creation of the Operation Absolute
Sanity on the Kaduna/Abuja highways.
The News
Agency of Nigeria reports that 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.
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