The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has affirmed the effectiveness of intelligence in policing Nigeria, and said it is non-negotiable for better security at all levels of society.
The Police Chief made the affirmation Friday, 8 July, 2022, while acknowledging some major intelligence cum operational achievements recorded by Operational Outfits of the Force Intelligence Bureau, FIB.
IGP Baba noted that cutting edge technology and intelligence-led policing model was vital to operational and investigative functions of the Police with a view to strengthening capacity as well as stabilizing internal security order.
TheFact Daily gathers that in a major intelligence-led operation, the operatives successfully apprehended one Abdullahi Baka, aged 47 years, a notorious gunrunner who specializes in supplying illicit arms and ammunition to deadly criminal gangs terrorizing Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba States.
Baka’s voluntary confession led to the arrest of 27-year-old Abubakar Sani, Alh. Guru Maga, Alh. Manu Ardo and Hamisu Abubakar, all members of a deadly kidnap syndicate operating in and around Gombe and Bauchi States.
Items recovered from the suspects include 4 AK49 rifles, 4 AK47 rifles, 49 rounds of live ammunition, 3 AK47 magazines, and 1 Sub-Machine Gun, SMG.
Similarly, another major intelligence-led operation by FIB operatives led to the arrest of the duo of Jamilu Abdulkadir and Sai Fullahi Lawal, both males of Safana LGA in Katsina State at Matazu LGA, Katsina State, following discrete information received on their aiding bandits and kidnap kingpins to run errands.
They were arrested in possession of the sum of twenty thousand Naira (N20,000), being balance payment for 500 rounds of AK47 ammunition for a notorious kidnap kingpin, Sani aka Bafudinge.
Furthermore, one Usman Manu Mohammed of Mariri, Lere LGA of Kaduna State, was apprehended after weeks of evading arrest for his role in connection with the kidnap of a cattle trader in Kaduna State in March this year. All arrested suspects are currently assisting the police with information necessary for further arrests.
The IGP has however ordered police operatives in charge of cases of kidnapping, insurgency, and organized crimes across the country to galvanize their investigations to identify criminal networks and possibly link the cases with a view to establishing the multi-dimensional modus operandi of the syndicate and neutralizing their activities forthwith.
He has further tasked all police operatives to consolidate maximally on intelligence gathering which is the crux and fulcrum of modern policing, and equally emphasized the important role of community engagement and traditional intelligence gathering with a charge to all officers to employ these in their daily police duties.
