Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu has said that the force had arrested 1, 527 kidnap suspects and recovered 2,037 firearms across the country in 2019.

Adamu said this while addressing the North-Central regional security summit on Wednesday in Lafia, Nasrawa state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the Security Summit was entitled:” Strategic Partnership for Effective Community Policing in the North-Central Zone/FCT.”

Adamu said that 6, 531 other criminal suspects were arrested, while 2, 037 arms of various descriptions with 21, 870 live ammunitions were recovered within the period.

He said that the resilience and commitment of the police and other stakeholders towards curbing crime and criminality in the country made the recoveries possible.

Adamu said comprehensive reform to reposition the force for enhanced service delivery was part of his deliberate policy to improve security and safety in the country. According to the I-G, police formations and commands have been reorganised and re-equipped for effectiveness and efficiency.

“In the coming days, the new Police Mobile Force (PMF) squadrons will be established in troubled spots to complement existing security architecture and boost safety and security across the country."

“We have recently deployed the Police Smart Surveillance (CCTV Camera-on-the-move) vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carriers and other state-of-the-art tactical operational vehicles to aid our capacity in dealing with highly organised violent criminal networks."

“We have also established national command and control centre and the Nigeria Police crime and incident database centre. “These critical policing assets were recently commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari, and with their deployment, the Nigerian police are poised to not only make Nigerians safe but to make Nigeria safer,” he said.

Adamu said the 5th North Central security summit was aimed at addressing the security challenges in the region. He said that such summits had been held in the four geo-political zones, and were geared towards effective integration and implementation of policing strategies. Adamu called on stakeholders from the zone to partner with the police towards the success of the community policing strategy.

He said the outcome of the summit would deepen understanding of security threats dynamics in the region and new strategies to strengthen the police and other stakeholders’ capacities to attain their internal security mandate. The governors present at the Summit included Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara.

Others were, Abubakar Bello of Niger, while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, was represented by Adamu Gwari, the Director of Security. Alsonin attendance was the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage; the Attah Igala, Michael Ameh-Oboni; the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba-Gyang among others.

A total of 36 bandits operating in the zone who voluntarily surrendered to the police were presented to the IG at the summit.