DPO for trial over alleged kidnap of expatriate

A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Casimir Ihiezu is to be arraigned before a federal high court over an alleged unlawful possession of firearms as well as involvement in the kidnap of an expatriate.

The kidnap was said to have taken place at a palm oil company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.Already, the DPO who was arrested since last year on the orders of Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Ezike has been moved to Abuja on the order of the Deputy Inspector General of Police at the Force Headquarters Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID) Area 10, Abuja, preparatory for his arraignment in court .

Ihiezu has been detained at the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID) Area 3 Abuja since he was moved to the capital city.

At the time of this report, the legal department of the Force Headquarters, Abuja is said to be putting final details to the charges to be preferred against him.

The Division Police Officer, who is a Superintendent of Police (SP), is in charge of Omoku Divisional Police Headquarters, Rivers State Police Command before his arrest.

A Police report that indicted the DPO revealed that there was a kidnapping case on June 26, 2015 at SIAT Palm Plantation, Ubioma in Ikwerre Local Government Council of Rivers State during which an Ivorien expatriate with the company, Mr. Beinvenu Assemian was kidnapped by a group of gun men.

The report titled: “Police Interim Investigation Report in a case of Kidnapping, Murder and Armed Robbery CR NO 953/2015 dated September 21, 2015, was signed by ACP Anthony Ekong and has reference No SB: 5390/RVS/X/D5/VOL.1/179.

A Police Corporal, Mr. Imeh Edet with Force No 443578 attached to Special Protection Unit was said to have been shot dead by the kidnappers while attempting to protect the expatriate while his smoke gun with registration No. 927wk 683022559, was reportedly taken away by the gun men.

The Police report signed by Mr. Ekong, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, indicated that a Security Manager with the Palm Plantation, one Mr. Ahmed Rabiu, wrote a petition against the DPO following the discovery that the kidnappers used the cell phone of the late Police Corporal to interface with the DPO and the victims company several times to demand ransom.

The embattled DPO was also alleged in the report to have used his cell phone to send series of text messages to the phone being used by the kidnappers during their demand for ransom.

Following the arrest of the DPO on the strength of the petition, a search was conducted at his Orazi home in Port Harcourt by a team of special detectives during which several incriminating items were found.