IGP Unveils New Strategies Against Kidnapping
- As Police rescue 27 victims, 5 Chinese
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammad A Adamu, has rolled out new counter-kidnapping operational strategies in continuation of efforts by the Nigeria Police Force to speedily end existing internal security challenges across the country.
This is as the IGP assures Nigerians that with the new strategies that are purposeful and intelligence-driven, violent crimes and other sundry criminal activities in the country will soon be a thing of the past.
IGP Adamu said the strategies are targeted at identifying, locating and dismantling kidnapping gangs across the nation and bringing the perpetrators and their collaborators to justice.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters Abuja, DCP Frank Mba, the new strategies are designed to complement and strengthen the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ currently on-going in several States of the Federation.
He said the operation will involve deployment of undercover operatives, decoy operations and high-level tactical missions with active participation of operatives drawn from the conventional Police Units, the Force Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Special Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS), the Special Anti-kidnapping Squads and the Police Tactical Units comprising the Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and the Special Forces.
The statement also said that Police operatives from ‘Operation Puff Adder’ have rescued unhurt 27 kidnap victims, including 5 Chinese nationals.
The Chinese citizens, kidnapped on April 15, 2019 in Bobi, Niger State, were safely and successfully rescued on May 5, 2019 from a forest in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, following painstaking investigative efforts, including both air and ground surveillance.
Two (2) of the kidnappers died from injuries sustained during exchange of gun fire with the Police in the course of the rescue mission.
Similarly, twenty-two (22) other kidnap victims were rescued in Zamfara State and other parts of the country.
In addition, between January 2019 and the first week of May, 2019, a total of 270 suspected kidnappers were arrested, 275 suspected armed robbers were arrested and 105 assorted weapons plus a large cache of ammunition recovered.
IGP Adamu, while commending the general public for their understanding and supports so far, promised that the Force under his leadership will continue to work with other relevant stakeholders in the task of making Nigeria safer and better.
