BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI, ABUJA
The FCT Police Commissioner CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, said the command lost 140 police officers on active service between January and December, 2024, in the territory.
Disu, who disclosed this to newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja, said some of the police officers lost their lives to Shi’ites and other violent protests, while others died as a result of high blood pressure, road accidents and other incidents.
He also said that the command, through the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ensured that some of the deceased officer’s family were paid their entitlements and other benefits.
“Infact, just last week, we lost one of our officers, who went to bed and didn’t wake up again. So you can see how some of our men died while on active service for our dear nation,” he said.
He disclosed that a total of 104 kidnap incidents were reported to the command, in which 216 suspects were arrested of the total 1,426 cases between January to December, 2024, during the year under review.
He further disclosed that 268 robbery incidents were reported while 132 suspects were arrested, adding that 263 cases of ‘one chance’ were also reported in which 71 suspects were apprehended.
According to him, 32 cybercrime cases were reported, in which 15 suspects were arrested, and 68 homicide cases were reported, while 78 suspects have been arrested, adding that 73 burglary cases were reported, and 20 suspects were arrested.
He added that 385 fraud cases were reported, while 422 suspects arrested and 38 cultism cases were also reported, in which he said, 59 suspects were arrested, adding that 68 cases of police misconduct were reported to the command’s complaints response unit.
Disu, also disclosed that 127 car theft cases were reported and 64 suspects were arrested, adding that 68 abducted victims were also rescued, while 19 ‘one chance’robbery victims were rescued.
He, however, noted that 38 suspects were charged to court in kidnap incident, while 21 were convicted, adding y16 ‘one chance’ suspects were also charged to court and 11 were convicted, while 32 suspects, who were also charged for homicide cases, 8 were convicted before the court of law.
He added that 178 suspects arrested in connection to fraud were charged to court and 58 were convicted, while 11 out of 19 cult suspects were also convicted and 26 suspects cases of burglary in which eight were convicted by the court.
He also said that 58 suspects were charged for police misconduct without any changes conviction recorded, adding that out of 22 suspects who were charged to court for car theft, 11 were convicted.
The police commissioner, also disclosed that 376 firearms, including 13 AK-47 magazines and 187 rounds of live ammunition and a total of N409, 992:00 were recovered.
He also disclosed that 73 vehicles were recovered from car theft cases in which 24 ‘one chance’ robbery incidents, while two from cultism cases.
“And from the above statistics, a 15.1% reduction in crime incidents within the FCT was recorded between 2023 and 2024,” he said.
He also disclosed that 140 police officers died in the line of duty/active service, even as he said the command’s plan is to build on the success of 2024, through community policing engagement and intelligence-led policing strategies.
Disu, therefore, extended the command’s heartfelt gratitude to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, residents of the FCT, sister security agencies, the media, members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), vigilante groups, and community policing stakeholders, for their unwavering support and cooperation.