DPO rejects N1million bribe from kidnap suspect in Kaduna

A suspected kidnapper has been arrested in Tafa, Kagarko local government area of Kaduna state and over N2 million believed to be proceeds from ransom payment was recovered from him.

Kaduna state Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mansir Hassan, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday said the Tafa Divisional Police Officer (DPO) rejected a bribe of N1 million offered for him to compromise the case and release the suspect.

The PPRO added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Dabigi, warned owners and managers of hotels, recreation and leisure service centres to always scrutinise their clients carefully.

“Following 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, 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 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-year-old Bello Muhammad from Zamfara state and recovered the sum of 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.

“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 Ali Dabigi 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.”