A total of eight thousand and thirty-four (8,034) terrorists have been neutralized by joint troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, while eleven thousand six hundred and twenty-three (11,623) suspects have been arrested, and six thousand, three hundred and seventy-six (6,376) hostages have been rescued within the year.
The Director of Legal Service and Coordinator, Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee (SCIPC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Mijinyawa Zakari, disclosed this at the end of the year press briefing on key achievements and progress recorded across all sectors of the national security and emergency response framework in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital.
The briefing, comprising spokespersons from all security, law enforcement, and emergency response agencies in the country, aims to harmonise the workings of the security and response agencies for cohesion and accountability.
Delivering a compiled report of the agencies, Mijinyawa Zakari said the military also recovered a total of eight thousand, two hundred and sixteen (8,216) weapons and two hundred and eleven thousand, four hundred and fifty-nine (211,459) rounds of ammunition, while preventing oil theft valued at over fifty-seven billion naira.
These achievements by the Armed Forces of Nigeria cover five key regions including the North East, North West, North Central, South-South, and South East.
While highlighting the strides of the Nigeria Police Force in maintaining public safety between January and December, he said the Force arrested thirty thousand, three hundred and thirteen (30,313) suspects for crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, and homicide, while rescuing one thousand, five hundred and eighty-one (1,581) kidnapped victims.
“Significant recoveries were made, including one thousand nine hundred and eighty-four (1,984) firearms, one thousand, four hundred and thirty-eight (1,438) stolen vehicles, and twenty-three thousand, two hundred and fifty (23,250) rounds of ammunition. Notable achievements include the rescue of eighty-nine (89) victims from armed bandits in Kaduna State on November 24 and the foiling of a kidnapping in Delta State on November 28, which led to the recovery of multiple firearms. In Kebbi State, thirty-six (36) abducted farmers were freed on December 8 through coordinated efforts with the military and vigilantes.
“The Force also disrupted illegal arms trade, arresting suspects involved in trans-border gun running and recovering both locally and internationally made weapons. In operations with the Nigerian Army, the FCT Police cleared bandit camps in Kaduna and Niger States, while Rivers State Police arrested a notorious cult leader, Gift Okpara, recovering a cache of arms and explosives. These efforts underscore the Force’s resolute pursuit of justice and national security.”
In the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Mijinyawa said the agency has ensured the safe and humane custody of over eighty thousand (80,000) inmates and supervised fifty thousand (50,000) offenders on non-custodial measures like community service and probation.
The Service, according to the briefing provided rehabilitation through vocational training for over thirty thousand (30,000) inmates, education for two thousand (2,000) WASSCE candidates, and facilitated the graduation of one thousand (1,000) inmates from diploma and degree programs via the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in 2024 recovered Twenty-Nine Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty-Five Million Naira (N29.685) in cash, nine hundred and sixty-six thousand, nine hundred USD ($966,900.83), and an additional ten billion, eight hundred and four million (N10.804 billion) restrained or forfeited from MDAs.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in its submission read by Mijinyawa, said the agency arrested fourteen thousand, four hundred and eighty (14,480) individuals, including fifteen (15) drug barons, secured two thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven (2,867) convictions, and seized 2.37 million kilograms of illicit drugs, with cannabis, tramadol, and codeine-based cough syrup being the most trafficked. A historic 51.90 kilograms of heroin was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), said its key accomplishments included the completion of the Technology Complex, which houses the Command-and-Control Centre, NIS Data Centre, and ECOWAS Biometric Card Centre thus enhancing real-time border monitoring with advanced technology.
The NIS also deployed thirty (30) border patrol vehicles and partnered with Huawei to provide e-solutions for over two hundred (200) border formations. On Policy advancement, the service also began the implementation of the Complete Automated Passport Acquisition System (CAPAS) and the launch of the New Visa Policy 2024 to promote tourism along with the establishment of the Country Signing Certificate Authority (CSCA).
The National Parks, which have been used as hideouts by criminals have constituted a serious national security concern in Nigeria and the National Park Service said it has enhanced security through transborder patrols, including a cooperation agreement with Cameroon, and joint efforts with security agencies.
Between January and October 2024, the Service said it made six hundred and twenty-one (621) arrests for various offenses, prosecuted four hundred and sixty-six (466) individuals, and resolved sixty-one (61) cases out of court, underscoring its commitment to enforcing park regulations and protecting Nigeria’s natural resources.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said it has implemented a series of special operations aimed at reducing road traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities, including targeted patrols against overloading, tanker crashes, and the use of fake number plates.
These efforts resulted in the arrest of 538,398 traffic offenders, and rescue operations for 7,872 crashes, saving 25,127 individuals with injuries and 27,597 without, although 4,378 fatalities were recorded.
It would be recalled that the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu had earlier in the year charged all spokespersons to collaborate to ensure the dissemination of the Administration’s progress in tackling insecurity and to align strategies, outline major operational successes, policy reforms, and inter-agency initiatives aimed at further enhancing the nation’s safety and security.
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