Suspected kidnappers were arrested by operatives of Rivers State Police command after collecting N25 million as ransom for the release of a popular Port Harcourt hotelier.
Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, in his statement yesterday in Port Harcourt said the suspect abducted the victim on December 19 from his residence.
He further stressed that, the victim’s family had paid N25 million ransom to the kidnappers after reporting the matter to the police”.
In his statement, the Commissioner added that the wife of the victim reported to the police after the kidnappers refused to release her husband despite receiving the ransom.
He said, the victim was shot on the leg three times by the hoodlums before taking him away.
The CP said: “The victim was kidnapped since 19th of December last year, in his residence by these hoodlums. The victim is a popular hotelier in town, who was shot in his leg before he was abducted.
“The family did not disclose to the police, before they decided to pay the ransom to the kidnappers. And a sum of about N25 million, in dollars was paid to the kidnappers, yet refused to release the victim.
“When the wife reported the matter to the police on the 30th December, the Police, C4I intelligence, swing in to action with immediate effect.”
Disu however said, “the Police on Monday around 07:00am raided the den of the kidnappers and rescued the victim.
“Around end of December and early January, the police officers had a face-off with the kidnappers, but they escaped.
“Yesterday night, operatives were able to locate the hide out of the hoodlums and today at about 07:00am hours, officers of the command stormed their abode in Agbochia forest where the victim had been kept since then and they were arrested.” Disu said.
