Kidnap suspects, police differ on alleged N35m bribe

By ABEL ABOGONYE, Lafia

Three kidnap suspects in Nasarawa State police net and the police have disagreed on the allegation of bribery. While the suspects accused the police of demanding N35 million for their freedom, the police said they would not succumb to intimidation from any quarter, as it remained resolute to stamp out criminality in the state.

The three suspects – Bawa Adamu, Abdullahi Adamu and Ibrahim Bawa – who said they were arrested on April 15, 2021 by the police, following report by two police informants, Kire Iki and Dere Dono, that they were involved in kidnapping, alleged that the police had been forcing them to admit to the crime besides payment of N35 million for their release.

In a petition dated June 9, 2021, to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, the two detained brothers denied involvement in the crime and appealed for transfer of the case out of Nasarawa for thorough investigation.

But in a swift response, the Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe, dismissed the allegation, saying the command could not be associated with the allegation, given its zero tolerance for corruption.

Claiming that they were innocent of the crime, the suspects said 17 persons were picked up by the police in connection with the allegation.
According to the petition signed by their counsel, Oghenovo Otemu, the petitioners said out of 17 persons arrested, 12 were released upon payment for their bail, while the police refused to release them and two others, insisting that N35 million must be paid.

“It is our brief that Alhaji Bawa Adamu, Abdullahi Adamu and 17 others were arrested by the Police Anti-kidnapping Team in Nasarawa about April 15, 2021 on the instigation of Kire Iki and Dere Dono.

“After their arrest, several financial requests were made by the police. While 14 of the arrested persons were released upon payment for their bail, the police refused to release our client and two others, insisting that our client must pay N35 million or buy a gun, which they would submit to the Anti-kidnapping Unit,” the petition reads. (Courtesy, The Guardian)