The Edo Police Command on Saturday said that it arrested no fewer than 5,070 suspects for various crimes in 2019.

The Commissioner for Police (CP) Mr Lawan Jimeta, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Benin that the figure represented the suspects arrested for kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, murder, fraud and car theft during the year under review.

Jimeta giving a breakdown of the figure said that 99 suspects were arrested for alleged kidnapping.

He added that 523 suspects were arrested for alleged armed robbery, and 4,353 suspects were arrested for alleged cultism.

He said that 92 suspects were arrested for murder, while two suspects and one suspect were arrested for fraud and car theft respectively.

The commissioner of police said that the arrests were from 1,883 reported cases of crimes brought before the command.

He explained that during the period under review, the command charged 950 of the cases involving 1,979 of the suspects to courts.

“However 429 of the reported cases are still under investigation,” he said.

Jimeta solicited the support of stakeholders and residents of the state in the fight against cultism, gender-based violence, human trafficking, kidnapping as well as armed robbery.

He also urged the public to assist the police in area of intelligence gathering.

“The summary of intelligence gathering is community policing. Intelligence gathering propelled by community policing and information is key to the success in the protection of lives and properties,” he said. (NAN)