Olukayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police, assured the public that Interpol is actively pursuing the re-apprehension of Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Binance Regional Africa Manager, who absconded while in custody in Nigeria.
Egbetokun made this statement on Thursday during an interaction with reporters at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, in Abuja.
Egbetokun said, “I am not going to tell you what INTERPOL is doing, but I must tell you that we are doing a lot. I can assure you that the suspect would be re-arrested.”
Anjarwalla, aged 38, broke free from custody on Friday, March 22, 2024, escaping from a secure facility where he and his associate were being held.
The Inspector General went on to disclose that there has been a surge in kidnapping and murder incidents over the last eight weeks, with the Nigeria Police Force documenting 214 kidnapping cases and 537 instances of homicide.
Egbetokun highlighted that 3,685 suspects were apprehended for their involvement in various criminal activities, with 401 kidnapped victims successfully rescued.
He said, “On the flip-side, we will continue to strive for excellence by being more proactive in our policing approach. Our responses to the current internal security threats require strategic deployments that are not only proactive but also technology and intelligence-driven.
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“Through meticulous analysis of available information, we shall endeavour to pre-empt criminal activities, disrupt their illicit networks, and apprehend perpetrators swiftly. It is essential that we remain vigilant and adaptive in our approach, continuously refining our strategies to stay ahead of evolving threats.
“I am pleased to report a substantial advancement, propelled by the execution of diverse strategies aimed at mitigating the escalating trend of criminal activities across the nation after our last conference held on February 8, 2024.
“In the past eight weeks, we recorded 141 cases of terrorism/secessionist attacks, 537 cases of murder, 126 cases of armed robbery, 214 cases of kidnapping, and 39 cases of unlawful possession of firearms.
“Also, during the period under review, the Nigeria Police Force arrested 3,685 suspects for their participation in various crimes, 401 kidnapped victims were rescued, 216 various firearms, 3,601 ammunition and 82 vehicles were recovered.
They mentioned that over the past nine months, they had collectively issued checks amounting to N7,263,391,051.73 to 2,5143 families of deceased police officers.