*DPO rejects N1m bribe
By Amos Tauna, Kaduna
Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command attached to Police Divisional Headquarters Tafa, Kaduna, have arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered shared ransom.
This followed the directives of the Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP A.D. Ali, to personnel to be proactive in their operation using intelligence based policing approach in ensuring the arrest of the suspected kidnapper.
The state police spokesman, ASP Mansir Hassan, in a statement in Kaduna today, said, “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 Divisional Police Officer stormed the hotel and arrested a certain 28 years old Bello Muhammad from Zamfara State and recovered 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 explained that the suspect admitted to being a kidnapper who operates with his gang around Kagarko forest in Kaduna, adding, “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.”
According to the statement, the said suspect Bello Muhammad, offered a million naira backhander to the Divisional Police Officer (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 statement assured.
The Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP A.D Ali, 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.
The CP equally tasked hoteliers, recreation and leisure service operators in the State to always scrutinise the identity of their customers to avoid providing criminals with safe haven.
