Kaduna, Jan. 25, 2024 -The Kaduna State Police Command on Thursday reported that one of its officers rejected N1 million bribe offered by an alleged kidnapper.
The command said its Divisional Police Officer (DPO) overseeing Tarfa rejected the bribe from a suspected kidnapper who was apprehended with N2.35 million in cash believed to be ransom proceeds.
ASP Mansir Hassan, the Spokesman for the command, said the suspect had admitted to being part of a kidnapping gang operating in various parts of Kaduna state.
He said a photograph retrieved from the suspect’s phone depicted him wielding an AK47 rifle in the forest.
Hassan said the 28-year-old suspect, identified as Bello Muhammad from Zamfara State, is cooperating with the police, providing valuable information.
“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 an intelligence-based policing approach, Operatives attached to Police Divisional Headquarters Tafa, Kaduna have arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered shared ransom.
“On the 19th January, 2024 at about 2200 hours, the said Divisional Headquarters was in receipt of 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 the 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.
“The said suspect Bello Muhammad thus, 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 Commissioner of Police 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.
“Equally, the CP 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.” (GBN)
