The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, Victor Olaiya, alongside a tactical team to Niger State to support ongoing efforts to rescue residents abducted in Borgu Local Government Area.
Disu announced the deployment during his visit to the Niger State Police Command headquarters in Minna, where he met with senior police officers following the recent mass abduction in the area.
The visit came shortly after the police chief met with Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago and was received by the Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba.
The IGP said the rescue operation was a joint effort involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, intelligence agencies and other security organisations.
“The Nigeria Police Force is contributing everything it can, and the sister agencies have come together — the intelligence agencies, the Nigerian Army — and we are working together to ensure that we bring them out safely from wherever they are,” Disu stated.
He said he was satisfied with the progress made so far but noted that some security measures could not be made public due to their operational sensitivity.
Disu assured officers involved in the operation of the support of the police leadership, adding that their morale remained high despite the difficult conditions they were facing.
“The eyes of Nigerians are on the police to do the needful. I didn’t come for a ceremony, but I came with a strong message of support for the officers and men of the command who work under demanding conditions,” he said.
The Niger State Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, commended the IGP for the intervention, especially the deployment of AIG Olaiya and the tactical team.
Elleman said the team would proceed to Borgu Local Government Area to join the ongoing rescue operation and strengthen efforts to secure affected communities.
He disclosed that the command was still working to determine the exact number of people abducted during the attacks, while security agencies continued efforts to locate and rescue the victims.
The commissioner added that several suspected bandits and informants had been arrested as part of efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the area.
However, he appealed for more personnel, armoured vehicles, surveillance equipment and protective gear to boost the capacity of security forces responding to security challenges in the state.
Meanwhile, IGP Disu said police formations across the country were actively confronting armed groups, despite losing personnel in the line of duty, including officers recently killed while fighting bandits in Kebbi, Zamfara and Yobe states.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.