Police nab kidnapper after receiving N25m ransom
Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a suspected kidnapper after collecting N25 million as ransom for the release of his victim, a popular Port Harcourt hotelier.
The state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, while parading the suspect in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said the suspect abducted the victim on December 19 from his residence.
Disu revealed that the family of the victim after reporting the incident to the police had paid N25 million ransom to the kidnappers.
The CP noted that the wife of the victim approached the police after the kidnappers of her husband refused to release him even after receiving the said money.
He revealed that the hoodlums during the process of kidnapping, shot the victim on the leg thrice before dragging him away.
Disu said: “This victim was kidnapped December 19 in his residence by these hoodlums. The victim in this incident is a popular hotelier in town. These hoodlums shot him three times in the leg before he was abducted.
“The family did not tell the police or any other security agencies, they decided to pay the ransom that was demanded by the kidnappers. A total sum of about N25 million in dollars was paid to these kidnappers, but they refused to release the victim.
“It was at that stage the wife of the victim decided to inform the police on December 30 and the Police, the C4I intelligence, started work on the case immediately.”
Disu disclosed that the Police around 7 am on Monday, raided the camp of the kidnappers and rescued the victim.
“At a particular time, towards the end of December, early this month (January), our officers had an encounter with them (kidnappers), but the kidnappers escaped, noticing that the officers of the command had noticed the kind of vehicle and the colour, they decided to take their two operational vehicles to the panel beater for the colours to be changed.
“The colours of the vehicle have been changed and we have recovered the two vehicles. Yesterday night, on discovering where the victim was kept, we decided to embark on a rescue operation for the victims today.
“So today at about 700 hours, officers of the command went to their abode in Agbochia forest where the victim has been kept since then.”