Four hundred and ninety-two suspected criminals have been arrested in Kaduna State in the last seven months, the State Police Command has said.
The outgoing Commissioner of Police in the state, Umar Muri, who disclosed this on Saturday, added that the command also recovered 676 rustled cattle.
Muri has been redeployed to Zone 13 Awka, Anambra State as the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of the Zone comprising of Enugu and Anambra recently.
He said 315 suspects have been charged to court and 176 convicted, while others are pending trial before the various courts.
He said the suspects were arrested for various offenses such as Theft, Criminal Breach of Trust, Criminal Misappropriation, Criminal Force, Assault, Voluntarily Causing Harm, Criminal Trespass, kidnapping, cattle rustling, rape, Traffic Offences, Unlawful Assembly and Mischief.
He said there was a surge in criminal activities in the state.
“More disturbing is the fact that the rate of kidnappings in the state seems to be on the increase despite the tireless efforts and strategies embarked upon by security agencies, the state and federal governments in ensuring that kidnapping and other related crimes are nipped in the bud,” Muri said.
“It is a fact that where farming is disrupted in a given community, famine is beckoned at a speedy rate to befall that same community. This is one of the glaring challenges that stare us right into our eyes as a State and the Nation at large. Our farmers, as we speak, cannot go to their farms free-minded to boost food production in the country.
“The obvious implication of this is a sharp rise of food scarcity and the likelihood of increase in criminality and violence across the Country.
“It is on this note, gentlemen of the press, that the Command has done and still doing everything possible to get our farmers back to farm, without fear of molestation or harassment from any quarter, especially now that we are in the middle of the rainy season. This, if achieved, will no doubt magnify the security and economy of the state and the country at large.”
