By Sarah NEGEDU
Police in the Federal Capital Territory said it recorded a total of 1,426 cases in the year 2024, with a total of 1,077 arrests made through the year.
A 2024 scorecard released by the command on Wednesday, indicates that 104 of the cases reported bothered on kidnapping, while 268 of the cases were armed robbery related.
Further analysis of the security report suggests that fraud related issues topped cases reported in the year under review, with 385 of such reported while 422 arrests were made in relation to fraud cases.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed that 68 kidnapping victims were rescued while 19 one-chance robbery victims were rescued in the year under review.
A further analysis of crimes reported during the year shows that 263 one-chance robbery cases were reported while 71 suspects were arrested. 32 cybercrime cases were reported and 15 suspects arrested, while
68 homicide cases were reported and 78 suspects arrested.
Meanwhile, 73 burglary cases were also reported and 20 suspects arrested in relation to the crimes, and another 38 cultism cases reported, 59 suspects arrested.
The police recovered 376 firearms including 13 AK-47 magazines and 187 rounds of live ammunition during the year.
Cash recovered include ₦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, making a total of ₦409,992,000.
From the above statistics, the police disclosed that there a 15.1% reduction in crime incidents within the FCT was recorded between 2023 and 2024.
On plans for 2025, the Command said it will be building on the successes of 2024, by intensifying on community policing engagements, iIntelligence-led policing strategies, targeted clearance operations, and public enlightenment initiatives to address the evolving security demands of the FCT.
It said, “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.”
