By Anwar Usman
The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory Command, recovered a total of ₦409,992,000 from criminals during various operations in 2024.
A breakdown of the recovered sum, according to the command’s scorecard made available to journalists on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, revealed that ₦36,850,000 was recovered from kidnapping suspects; ₦68,552,000 from armed robbery suspects; ₦19,590,000 from burglary cases and ₦285,000,000 from fraud cases.
Also, in 2024, Adeh stated that 1,426 cases were reported, leading to the apprehension of 1,077 suspects.
According to the scorecard, fraud cases were the most reported, with 385 cases and 422 suspects arrested. This was followed by armed robbery, with 268 cases and 132 suspects arrested.
One-chance robbery ranked third, with 263 cases leading to 71 arrests. Car theft came next, with 127 cases and 64 suspects arrested. Kidnapping took the top five position with 104 cases, resulting in the arrest of 216 suspects.
“For cybercrime, 32 cases were reported, and 15 suspects were arrested. For homicide, 68 cases were reported, leading to 78 arrests. Burglary saw 73 cases, with 20 suspects arrested, while cultism recorded 38 cases, leading to 59 arrests,” the scorecard stated.
The report also indicated that 376 firearms, including 13 AK-47 magazines and 187 rounds of live ammunition, were recovered.
The report further revealed that “Seventy-three vehicles were recovered from car theft cases, 24 from one-chance robbery cases, and two from cultism cases. The above statistics show a 15.1% reduction in crime incidents within the FCT, recorded between 2023 and 2024. Additionally, 68 kidnapping victims and 19 one-chance robbery victims were rescued”.
While highlighting the command’s readiness for 2025, Adeh explained that efforts would focus on enhancing community policing and conducting targeted operations.
“Building on the successes of 2024, the Command will intensify: Community policing engagements—intelligence-led policing strategies. Targeted clearance operations and public enlightenment initiatives were used to address the evolving security demands of the FCT.
“With a significant reduction in crime rates and a stable, peaceful atmosphere in the FCT, the Command is committed to sustaining the momentum in fighting against criminal activities,” she said.