THE Nigerian Police Force has said that while it strives to combat crime and criminality across the nation, it is impossible to apprehend every criminal simultaneously.
This statement was made by Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
ACP Adejobi was responding to images shared by an X user, which depicted alleged terrorists flaunting large sums of naira, believed to be proceeds from kidnapping activities.
“They’re now posing with ransom money, flaunting their wealth,” the user had captioned the images.
In response, Adejobi remarked, “We can’t catch all the criminals at once. At least acknowledge the ones we’ve already apprehended. We make arrests daily and in significant numbers.
“The armed forces and the police are putting in their best efforts. The work of the security forces should be acknowledged and appreciated. Tackling insecurity and other crimes in Nigeria requires a collective effort, with individual contributions playing a vital role.”
The post sparked a wave of reactions from Nigerians on social media.
One user, @smartakukoma, questioned the police’s priorities, saying, “Kidnapping and banditry can’t be traced in 2 hours, but cyberstalking can. Mr. Police Officer, there’s something you’re not telling us.”
Another user, @symplyDAPO, expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “With all due respect, you’re not doing enough when it comes to these terrorists. Are you saying you can’t trace their calls or money transfers?”
Similarly, @Daddy_Tweens criticized the disparity in intelligence operations, saying, “You seem to have swift intelligence that alerts you about potential protest hijackings. Why doesn’t that same intelligence apply to these bandits? The ‘intelligence radar’ doesn’t seem to stretch in their direction.”
Others, like @de_generalnoni, questioned the technological capabilities of the police, asking, “Are you saying you can’t track them? Don’t you have skilled hackers?”
However, one user, @BN_officially, took a more positive stance, noting, “At least you’re active on social media and fairly reachable.”
Eighteen-Eleven Media