Rivers: Police detain 17 cops for indecent dressing, alleged kidnap of hotel worker
No fewer than 17 policemen have been detained by the Rivers State Police Command for indecent dressing and allegedly kidnapping a Port Harcourt hotel worker.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Disu Olatunji, in his maiden press briefing in Port Harcourt on the achievement of Police within last month said some officers have been arrested on the said allegation, but that no officer complaint has been raised against them.
He said, “I have read something like that on social media over the weekend, I have not gotten any official complaint about it. Despite that, I went to town with my officers and I want to tell you that officers who had contact with that victim have been arrested.
“They have been arrested. So, I am waiting for a complaint from the victim, so that I will know what and what to look out for. The officers are there in custody, we are not hiding anything. When the complaint comes, we will give you details of what we have done.
“If I don’t get complaints from members of the public on this, I will believe everything is okay. All of us are in this together.”
Speaking on the arrest of the 12 criminals, Olatunji, noted that two cult leaders from Kereken Community in Khana LGA were arrested after they kidnapped the Community Development Committee Chairman of the Community, collected N200,000 ransom and still buried their victim alive.
He said, “On the day of resumption, I had before me a security deficit in many areas of Rivers State. One of those areas was Khana Local Government, and we immediately deployed tactical units to quell the situation. Gentlemen of the press, after concluding intense surveillance on 15th November, in separate crack operations, men of the Anti-Cultism Unit arrested Baridapdo Igia, 33yrs and Elvis Gordon, 26yrs two suspected Armed robbers and kidnappers in Kereken-Boue community of Khana Local Government Area.
“After a series of interrogations, the duo confessed to being leaders of Iceland and Degbam cult groups in Khana Local Government Area, respectively and have been terrorising Khana Local Government Area for the past three years.
“These cult groups have been known to have endless clashes in the community. During interrogations, they also admitted to kidnapping and burying alive one Praise Daakian, a former CDC Chairman in Khana Local Government Area. They murdered the victim after collecting the sum of NGN200,000 as part of payment for his ransom from the victim’s wife.”
He noted that all the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution upon completion of investigation.
However, the CP revealed that the command on Friday December 1st, arrested 13 officers over indecent dressing.
The CP gave the assurance in a radio programme organised by the Force Public Relations department in Abuja which was monitored in Port Harcourt on Saturday, December 2, 2023 by our reporter.
Disu, who disclosed that the officers were arrested during patrol by a monitoring unit in various parts of Port Harcourt noted that the arrest is part of an ongoing effort to eradicate indecent dressing by officers of the command.
He also revealed that the head of the Units or Divisions where the arrested Police officers are serving would be vicariously liable too, for the personnel action, noting that the arrested officers are in detention.
