Police inspector, other ex-officers paraded for alleged kidnapping, armed robbery

Three former police officers and five others were paraded yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) for allegedly kidnapping a former minister, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse last year in Kaduna.

They were also accused of armed robbery.Two of the suspects, an inspector and a sergeant told journalists that the former police sergeant stole weapons from the armoury of the unit he was attached to and sold them to criminals before they were arrested on new year day.

According to the FPRO, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Don Awunah, members of the seven-member gang are Dominic Nwakpa a.k.a. Alhaji, the gang leader, Ifeanyi Chukwu, his second in command, Balat Paul, Ibrahim Samuel, Jatau Peter (a dismissed policeman), the only female who is suspected to be the chef and custodian of kidnapped victims, Afini Paul and Clinton Abere.

Awunah said the suspects confessed to kidnapping Hirse on November 20, 2016 and collecting ransom.They also admitted to abducting Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa and his wife, and a member of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Samaila.

Nwakpa, a Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate said: “We were on patrol when we saw the ambassador alighting from a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). We thought he must be a very important person so we abducted him and demanded N50 million.”

The two robbery suspects, former Inspector Maisamari Dan Katsina and ex-Sergeant Bulus Jatau were accused of armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping. The police spokesman said all the suspects would be charge to court after the completion of an investigation.