Why Police Fail In Trailing Kidnappers – Force PRO Opens Up

The Nigeria Police Force Spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Saturday gave reasons for the failed attempt to track kidnappers who demand ransom in exchange for their victims’s freedom.

Adejobi said, although the Police still witness successes in trailing kidnappers, the relations of the victims always jeopardize the process out of fear.

“We do on regular basis. But many relations of victims don’t cooperate with us. They betray, chicken out and jeopardize our rescue operations.

“Kidnappers work on their psyche and cough out money. Though whoever takes ransom will be apprehended, but with time. It might not be immediate, but he will be picked.

“So we use many ICT-based platforms to get them and arrest them. I won’t be revealing our tactics here for many reasons. Thanks,” Adejobi said in a short tweet.

The police spokesperson was reacting to a Twitter user who requested to know why the police cannot trace kidnappers’ phone numbers and subsequently, make an arrest.

The question was against the backdrop of the alleged abduction of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Akhere Ehiremhen Victory, with call-up no: NYSC/BEN/2022/276339.

Victory was said to have been abducted on November 23 while returning from the NYSC camp in Sokoto State to her area of redeployment in Delta. She was said to have been abducted along the Lokoja, Kogi expressway.

The victim’s father, in a letter to the NYSC authorities, shared on Twitter said the kidnappers are demanding N20m for her freedom.

“The Kidnappers have been torturing her along with other victims since yesterday evening. We only succeeded in establishing contact with her this morning through one of the Kidnappers’ numbers (09051840618).

“In the course of my conversation with one of the Kidnappers today, he threatened to waste her life if we fail to pay a ransom of N20,000,000 within the next 24 hours despite my plea that I had just been discharged from Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja where I underwent Bilateral Hip Replacement Surgery.

“Their Leader said even if you die today, your daughter will remain with us until you pay N20,000,000,” the letter read partly.

While the Police Spokesperson did not comment on the kidnap of the corp member, he further proceeded with his public sensitisation.

“Kidnapping is the most delicate or dangerous operation to tackle. It endangers the victim and one must be very careful in carrying out the rescue operation so that you don’t kill or hurt your victim. It’s very delicate, hence the patience, SSS tactics we use,” he wrote.