Police rescue 28 hostages, arrest 96 suspects in Bauchi

• Deny levying personnel for Edo polls
• We’re levied, officers insist

The Nigeria Police Force, Bauchi State Command has rescued 28 hostages and arrested 96 suspected kidnappers including four females. Others arrested are 14 Indian hemp dealers, five cattle rustlers and one rape suspect. The suspects were arrested in Dass, Alkaleri, Soro, Tafawa Balewa, Toro and Gumau axis of the state.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Command, Haliru’ Gwandu said 81 suspects have been charged to court while 15 others are under investigation. He said arms and ammunition recovered from the suspects include one AK 47 rifle, three fabricated guns, single barreled gun and locally made pistol. Vehicles and motorcycles were also recovered.

Gwandu assured that the command will sustain the crime preventive measures which include visibility policing, constant raids of black spots, regular foot and vehicular patrols through partnership with sister agencies and other Non Governmental Organisations.

Meanwhile, contrary to media reports that police officers in Cross River State had been levied N5,500 each to provide security for this weekend’s governorship election in Edo State, the authorities have denied the allegation.The visibly angry Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Ozi-Obeh while discountenancing the reports, wondered where reporters got such wicked information.

He threatened that the police will begin to arrest newsmen for speculative reports.However some policemen who pleaded anonymity insisted that reporters should do everything to help them.

“You know we can not talk. Please you people should do the best you can for us because we do not understand why we should pay from our pocket to go and work for the nation.“We know very well that in this kind of assignment, the government should pay us extra as outside duty allowance but here we are being asked to pay for our transport and other things. It is unacceptable and the Inspector General of Police must intervene. This is clear corruption,” they alleged.

The police chief stressed that it was quite unsual in a national assignment of this nature, adding that what he was asked to do was to provide 550 policemen and vehicles to convey them to Edo State.

Whoever told you that we have demanded policemen to pay that amount is a liar. You can go to my personnel to further verify and whoever has paid such money should go and collect his money,” he stated.

But insisting on being levied, the affected cops claimed that a directive titled ‘Police Wireless Message’, signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCCID) in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), addressed to all sectional heads of CIID in Calabar with reference number DTO: 061432/09/2016 and which was secretly leaked to newsmen read:“In view of the election scheduled for 10/09/2016, you are directed to pay the sum of N5,500 each for transportation. Payment to reach me on or before Wednesday, 07/09/2016. Treat as very important please.”Ozi-Obeh said 10 pick-up vans and two lorries had been provided for the exercise.