•CP Olatunji Disu
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of four operatives involved in the alleged adoption of hotel staff in Port Harcourt and consequently demanded a ransom to release him.
The hotel staff simply identified as Darlington was reportedly arrested on his way to work at about 8 pm last Friday when the police officers accosted him near Choba in Obio/Akpor local government area of the State, reports The PUNCH.
Our correspondent gathered that the policemen searched the man’s phone and body, but found nothing incriminating on him.
However, after discovering where the man was working, the policemen reportedly kidnapped him and threatened that they would kill him as they had done to some other victims who refused to cooperate with them in the past.
While insisting on the one million naira ransom, the operatives had even threatened to throw his body into the Choba River after killing him. They also tagged him as a kidnapper.
The policemen were also said to have tied the man inside a vehicle and patrolled with him until they finally took him to a bush around Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State.
But luck ran out of the police officers when the matter was reported to the Divisional Police Officer who disguised and started negotiating the payment of ransom with the rogue officers pretending to be the father of the victim.
The DPO then pleaded with them to meet him up at a certain location where he would pay them the one million naira ransom, but on getting there, the DPO and his team disarmed them and arrested them.
The state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, confirmed the arrest of the officers at an event in Port Harcourt, saying they were in custody.
CP Disu stated, “I heard about that incident on social media, and despite that, I went to town with my officers to work on it.
“I’m confirming to you that officers who had contact with that victim have been arrested. I’m waiting for complaints from the victim to know what and what to really look out for.
“The officers are there. We are not hiding anything and when the complaints come we will give you further details on what we have done about it.”
