Between January and December 2024, 140 police officers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) lost their lives while on active duty, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed that the command handled 1,426 reported cases during the year.

The cases led to the arrest of 1,077 suspects involved in crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, ?one chance? operations, cybercrime, homicide, burglary, fraud, cultism, police misconduct, and car theft.

In the statement titled FCT Police Command 2024 Scorecard, Adeh highlighted that 376 firearms, including 13 AK-47 magazines and 187 rounds of live ammunition, were recovered as part of the command?s operations.

The command she said recovered over N409 million from suspects involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, one chance, cybercrime, homicide, burglary and cultism.

She said: ?The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), located at the heart of the Federation and bordered by Niger, Kaduna, Kogi, and Nasarawa States, serves as the political and business hub of Nigeria. Its unique position attracts diverse individuals, including those with both legitimate and illegitimate intentions. At the start of 2024, the FCT faced significant security challenges across its six area councils, including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, car theft, ?one-chance? robbery, illegal possession and use of firearms, homicides, and other violent crimes.

?In alignment with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, the FCT Police Command conducted a thorough analysis of the security situation, carried out crime-mapping, identified crime hotspots, and implemented an action plan with the following strategies:

? Robust community policing engagements.

? Sustained targeted clearance operations.

? Intelligence-led and visibility policing.

? Collaboration with sister security agencies. ? Strategic communication, public enlightenment, and sensitization.

?Achievements (January?December 2024). During the year under review, a total of 1,426 cases were reported, leading to the arrest of 1,077 suspects.

?ARRESTS: Kidnapping: 104 cases reported; 216 suspects arrested.

? Armed Robbery: 268 cases reported; 132 suspects arrested.

? ?One-Chance? Robbery: 263 cases reported; 71 suspects arrested.

? Cybercrime: 32 cases reported; 15 suspects arrested.

? Homicide: 68 cases reported; 78 suspects arrested.

? Burglary: 73 cases reported; 20 suspects arrested.

? Fraud: 385 cases reported; 422 suspects arrested.

? Cultism: 38 cases reported; 59 suspects arrested.

? Police Misconduct: 68 cases reported to the Command?s Complaint Response Unit (CRU).

? Car Theft: 127 cases reported; 64 suspects arrested.

?RESCUES:

? Kidnapping Victims Rescued: 68.

? ?One-Chance? Robbery Victims Rescued: 19.

?CASES CHARGED TO COURT AND CONVICTIONS:

? Kidnapping: 38 suspects charged; 21 convicted.

? ?One-Chance? Robbery: 16 suspects charged; 11 convicted.

? Homicide: 32 suspects charged; 8 convicted.

? Fraud: 178 suspects charged; 58 convicted.

? Cultism: 19 suspects charged; 11 convicted.

? Burglary: 26 suspects charged; 8 convicted.

? Police Misconduct: 58 suspects charged; no convictions recorded.

? Car Theft: 21 suspects charged; 11 convicted.

?RECOVERIES:

? Firearms: 376, including 13 AK-47 magazines and 187 rounds of live ammunition.

? Cash Recovered:

? ?36,850,000 from kidnapping suspects.

? ?68,552,000 from armed robbery suspects.

? ?19,590,000 from burglary cases.

? ?285,000,000 from fraud cases.

? Grand Total: ?409,992,000.

? Vehicles Recovered:

? 73 from car theft cases.

? 24 from ?one-chance? robbery cases.

? 2 from cultism cases.

From the above statistics, a 15.1% reduction in crime incidents within the FCT was recorded between 2023 and 2024. POLICE OFFICERS WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY/ACTIVE SERVICE: 140 officers?.

On plans for 2025, Adeh said the police is focusing on building on the successes of 2024: ?the Command will intensify: ? Community policing engagements.

? Intelligence-led policing strategies. ? Targeted clearance operations.

? Public enlightenment initiatives to address the evolving security demands of the FCT.

?The Command extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Honourable Minister of the FCT, residents, sister security agencies, the media, members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), vigilante groups, and community policing stakeholders for their unwavering support and cooperation.

?With a significant reduction in crime rates and a stable, peaceful atmosphere in the FCT, the Command is committed to sustaining the momentum in combating criminal activities.

?Emergency Contact:

Residents are encouraged to report emergencies via the following numbers:

? 08061581938

? 08032003913

? 08028940883

? 07057337653. Complaint Response Unit: 08107314192

Public Complaint Bureau: 09022222352?. (The Nation)

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