Informants Working For Bandits, Kidnappers Arrested , Says Wike
Minister Asks Police To Establish Additional Divisions
THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Kaduna State Command, has announced the arrest of a notorious kidnapper terrorising the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The FCT Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said the suspect, Chinaza Phillip, was apprehended by operatives of the Kaduna Command on Thursday, January 18, 2024 and subsequently handed over to the FCT Command.
“The FCT Police Command wishes to confirm the arrest of one Chinaza Phillip, a notorious Abuja kidnapper, by Police operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
“The suspect has been handed over to FCT Police Command today (Friday, January 19, 2024) and currently in Police custody,” she said in a statement reads.
This came as the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, announced the arrest of some informants working for kidnappers that had attacked some parts of the territory.
Speaking on Friday, January 19, during a town hall meeting with various stakeholders and residents in Gwagwalada town in Gwagwalada Area Council, the minister warned kidnappers and their informants to get ready to face the law, saying: “The President has asked me to come here today. The other day, I was in Bwari and next week, I will go to Kwali.
“Security is one thing the President promised Nigerians, because his job is to protect lives and property. If we can’t protect lives and property, then we have no reason to be in government.
“The President has asked me to assure you that he will not abandon you. So, all these criminals, be ready; your time is up. You know if I say I will do something, I will do it. And now that I am here today, if you know you are an informant or even one of the criminals, the end has come for you. I and security agencies will follow you to the point that you won’t enter Gwagwalada again.
“Some of the people giving them information, we have arrested them. If they haven’t arrested you, it doesn’t mean that we won’t arrest you tomorrow or even before we leave this place.”
In response to requests for more Police divisions in the council, the minister told the representative of the Police commissioner to work out the modalities, adding: “The CP should work out how we can provide two more Police divisions in Gwagwalada. We must do this immediately. It is a security matter and must not be bogged down by bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“The President has given me power to buy more vehicles. By next week, we shall give more vehicles to all Police stations; we shall give them modern communication gadgets. The President has said he does not want to hear any story of kidnapping in Abuja again and the security agencies have promised to rise to the occasion.
“We are very serious; we are not playing. But we need your support too, because security agencies cannot do this work alone; they need information. When you give them information, they will work better.”
Wike restated his earlier advice to residents to stop crowdfunding for ransom, saying such action only serves to fuel more kidnapping, noting: “It is also not good to go on the radio to raise ransoms; it is a way of encouraging criminals. We know it is not easy when your people are in captivity, but we have to avoid raising ransom; it fuels the activities of kidnappers.”
Earlier, Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri, said the area had not suffered many attacks since last year, but requested for more Police divisions.
He stated: “We need more Police divisions in the council, because we only have two, one in Zuba and one in Gwagwalada town. We want more divisions in the boundary between Gwagwalada (FCT) and Niger State, precisely in Dobi. Also, we need one in Giri village, where there is a constant influx of people.”
