The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Wednesday gave an
update on the Operation Puff Adder, which is aimed at tackling
kidnapping and banditry nationwide, saying the police had arrested 2,175
suspects since April 5.
The IG said police operatives attached to the Operation Puff Adder
had also rescued 63 kidnap victims within the period and called for
tougher legislation against kidnapping and banditry, including the
seizure of assets linked to these crimes. Adamu stated these while
addressing a delegation of the Association of Local Governments of
Nigeria, Nasarawa State chapter, who visited him in his official
quarters in Abuja.
The delegation, which was led by Alhaji Aminu Maifata, had paid the
IG a Sallah visit. According to a statement by the Force Public
Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, the IG stated that the 2,175 suspects
included 852 arrested for kidnapping, 865 for armed robbery, 359 for
murder and 99 for cultism.
Mba said, “The IG called for tougher legislation against kidnapping
and banditry, including possible state seizure of assets linked to
illicit proceeds from kidnapping and other crimes. This, the IGP
believes, will act as a strong disincentive to potential kidnappers and
other criminals. The IG stated that since the launch of Operation Puff
Adder on April 5, 63 kidnapped victims had been rescued by the police.“In a similar vein, 2,175 suspects were arrested. With respect to
arms recovery, the IG noted that 834 arms, including two rocket
launchers and 19,009 live ammunition, were recovered, with Oyo State
recording the highest number of 9,500 live ammunition.The IG stated that the police were re-jigging their strategies to
ensure proactive interception of illicit weapons destined for our
country and at the same time mop up unauthorised weapons from
circulation. He added that a good number of the cases were already being
prosecuted in courts, while many others were still under
investigation.”
Meanwhile, no fewer than 60 suspected bandits, popularly called
‘Sara-Suka’, have been arrested within the Bauchi metropolis. The state
Police Public Relations Officer, Kamal Abubakar, disclosed this in a
statement made available to journalists on Wednesday.
According to him, the bandits were arrested following intelligence
report that led to the raid of criminal hotspots in the metropolis. He
said the Operation Puff Adder operatives, in collaboration with other
units in the command and volunteers, carried out the raids.
Abubakar said, “Between June 2 and 4, 2019, intelligence-led raids
were carried out by the combined efforts of the command’s Operation Puff
Adder team of the Rapid Response Squad, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, State
Intelligence Bureau, ‘A’ Division and volunteer members on identified
criminal hotspots in Bauchi metropolis.