In 2024, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command marked a year of significant operations, with 140 brave officers losing their lives in the line of duty.
Despite the sacrifices, the command made substantial strides in curbing crime, recovering a total of N409,992,000 from various criminal activities.
According to the command’s annual report, which was shared with the press by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Josephine Adeh, the recovered funds were distributed across a range of criminal offenses.
The breakdown showed N36.85 million seized from kidnappers, N68.55 million from armed robbers, N19.59 million linked to burglary, and a significant N285 million recovered from fraud-related activities.
In terms of case management, 2024 saw a total of 1,426 criminal cases reported, resulting in the arrest of 1,077 suspects. Among these, fraud cases dominated the crime landscape, with 385 incidents and 422 individuals taken into custody.
Armed robbery followed with 268 reported cases and 132 arrests, while one-chance robbery (a type of robbery targeting passengers in transit) ranked third, with 263 incidents leading to 71 arrests.
Car theft had 127 cases and 64 arrests, and kidnapping accounted for 104 cases, with 216 individuals apprehended.
The report further highlighted other notable crime statistics. There were 32 cybercrime cases, leading to the arrest of 15 suspects, while homicide cases numbered 68, resulting in 78 arrests.
Burglary led to 73 reported cases and 20 arrests, and cultism registered 38 cases, leading to 59 arrests.
The command’s efforts also resulted in the recovery of significant quantities of weapons, including 376 firearms, 13 AK-47 magazines, and 187 rounds of live ammunition.
In terms of stolen property, the police recovered 73 vehicles from car theft cases, 24 from one-chance robberies, and two from cultism-related incidents.
Comparing crime statistics between 2023 and 2024, the FCT Police Command recorded a 15.1% reduction in crime incidents. Notably, 68 kidnapping victims and 19 one-chance robbery victims were rescued during the year.
Despite the commendable progress, the report also revealed the loss of 140 officers in the line of duty, underscoring the dangers and challenges faced by the force.
Additionally, the command received 68 complaints against its personnel, a reminder of the ongoing need for accountability and professional conduct within the ranks.
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As the year concludes, the FCT Police Command’s performance reflects both the sacrifices made by its officers and the ongoing battle against crime in Nigeria’s capital.
“Police officers who died in the line of duty: 140. Police misconduct: 68 cases reported to the command’s Complaint Response Unit, police misconduct: 58 suspects charged; no convictions recorded.
“For one-chance robbery, 16 suspects were charged, and 11 were convicted. homicide: 32 suspects charged, eight convicted; fraud: 178 suspects charged, 58 convicted; cultism: 19 suspects charged, 11 convicted; burglary: 26 suspects charged, eight convicted; and car theft: 21 suspects charged, 11 convicted.
“Building on the successes of 2024, the command will intensify community policing engagements, intelligence-led policing strategies, targeted clearance operations, and public enlightenment initiatives to address the evolving security demands of the FCT.
“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,” she said
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