By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Divisional Police Officer (DPO), of Tafa, area located along Abuja -Kaduna highway has arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered ransom of over N2 million from him.
Equally, the commissioner of Police (CP), Kaduna state command has warned hoteliers, recreation and leisure service operators in the state to always scrutinise their guests before giving them accommodation to avoid providing criminals with safe haven.
A statement signed by the command spokesman Asp Mansir Hassan on Thursday stated that the suspect was arrested based on receipt of a credible information regarding the presence of a suspicious person in Easyway hotel in Tafa town.
Titled: “A suspected kidnapper in police net in Kaduna, as DPO resisted a million naira bribe to compromise case”, the release stated that the incidents occurred on the 19th January, 2024 at about 2200 hours in the area.
“Following the directives of the Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP A.D. Ali, psc to personnel to be proactive in their operation using intelligence based policing approach, Operatives attached to Police Divisional Headquarters Tafa, Kaduna has arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovers shared ransom.
“On the 19th January, 2024 at about 2200 hours the said Divisional Headquarters was in receipt of a credible information regarding the presence of a suspicious person in Easyway hotel in Tafa town.
“Operatives led by the DPO stormed the hotel and arrested a certain 28 years old Bello Muhammad from Zamfara State and recovers the sum of two million, three hundred and fifty thousand naira (N2,350,000:00) suspected to be proceeds of kidnapping.
“During the course of investigation the suspect admitted to being a kidnapper who operates with his gang around Kagarko forest in Kaduna. The aforementioned sum is his own share of a ransom collected.
“Moreover, a check of his mobile phone corroborated the suspect’s confession as pictures of him brandishing an AK47 rifle in a forest were retrieved”, it states.
The said suspect Bello Muhammad thus, offered a million naira backhander to the DPO to stop him furthering the investigation which the Police Officer forthwith rejected. Investigation is still ongoing as the suspect is assisting the Police with vital information.
The CP Kaduna State Command, CP A.D Ali, psc, while praising the Tafa Division’s Operatives, urged them and others not to dwindle but to increase the tempo until crimes and criminality are reduced minimally.
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