No fewer than 521 assorted cases, including murder, were recorded by the Cross River State Police Command in 2023.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Augustine Grimah, disclosed these to newsmen during a press briefing and parading of suspects at the command’s headquarters, on Thursday in Calabar, the state capital.
Grimah averred that the command under his watch in the outgone year, despite all odds, recorded quite a number of achievements.
Attributing the feats to the practical law enforcement drills plunged into with constant raids of identified criminal hideouts, creeks, blacks spots, and flash points through visibility policing, intelligence led-policing; he, however, said it was not without some sacrifices as the command lost five of her personnel in the line of duty.
The commissioner saluted the gallant performances of officers and men of the command, which was evident in the reduction of crime rate in the outgone year in Cross River State, adding that it was in keeping with the vision of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to stem the tide of crime and make Nigeria safer and more secured for economic development.
He said, “Gentlemen of the press, you can bear me witness as we always invite you to this headquarters for press briefings where suspects are paraded before you and the general public to inform you of the efforts we are making to ensure that the state maintains its records as the most peaceful in the country.
“In keeping with the vision of IGP Egbetokun to stem the tide of crime and make Nigeria safer and more secure for economic development and growth, the command under my watch is taking drastic measures in fighting crimes and the perpetrators.
“Therefore, all our efforts and energies shall be geared towards the prevention of crimes and the successful apprehension of offenders that would test our resolve.
“Consequently, the command has overhauled its crime prevention machinery with community policing as the pillar of this strategy.
“We have already set the ball rolling and took proactive measures to stamp out the rising crimes in the state through round the clock patrol, constant raids on identified criminal hideouts and black-spots, surveillance foot and vehicular patrols, regular stop and search, intelligence gathering, and above all stakeholders’ engagements to address crimes in their localities.
“The Command within the period under review, 1st January to 31st December 2023, recorded a total of 521 incidents.
“The number of policemen/women killed during the period under review is five, while the number of persons rescued was 58. Number of recovered firearms were 133.”
Meanwhile, the police boss has solicited the continuous support of well-meaning Nigerians and residents of Cross River State towards checkmating crime in the state.
Arguing that the tasks of policing is a collective responsibility, the CP, therefore, appealed to all public-spirited individuals to contact the command through the following dedicated helpline for prompt and timely response at all times: 08133569456.
South-South PUNCH reports that a breakdown of the 521 recorded incidents recorded in the period under review indicated that there were six kidnappings, 49 abductions, 52 armed robberies, 35 cult-related cases among others.