Idara Jerome, Uyo
An attempt to collect a N3 million ransom allegedly landed a 29-year-old suspected kidnapper, Otuekong Enoidem, in the custody of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
Enoidem was arrested at about 11:30pm on August 25 by operatives of the Command while allegedly attempting to collect the ransom from the family of a kidnapping victim, Koffi, who was reportedly murdered by his abductors.
The arrest followed intelligence-led operations launched by the police after the kidnapping and murder of Koffi was reported to the Command on August 24.
According to a statement issued yesterday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, operatives intensified surveillance and follow-up investigations to track those behind the crime.
The police said a mobile phone belonging to Koffi and allegedly used by the kidnappers to communicate ransom demands was recovered from the suspect during the operation.
The recovery of the phone, the Command said, could prove crucial to the investigation as detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death and identify other members of the alleged criminal syndicate.
Enoidem, an indigene of Akai Ubium Village in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, is now assisting the police with investigations into the crime.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, commended the operatives for their diligence and professionalism, assuring residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes. He also urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to aid crime prevention and detection.
