The police have announced the rescue of its top officer kidnapped by gunmen in Kaduna on Saturday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Musa Rabo, who works as a police area commander at the Suleja Area Command in Niger State, was kidnapped alongside his driver on their way to Jos on Saturday evening.
While the kidnappers made contact with the relatives of the victim demanding N50 million ransom, the police said the victim was rescued by its officers.
The police in a statement via its official Twitter handle late Sunday evening said its rescued Mr Rabo “unhurt by a combined team of Police operatives from Kaduna, Niger and Zone 7 Command Headquarters Abuja, backed-up by members of the elite Special Forces of the NPF.”
The statement also revealed that two suspects were arrested.
“Two male suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident. Investigation into the incident is ongoing,” the police said.
Unlucky
Following Mr Rabo’s abduction, critics of the police berated the force for lack of power to secure its senior officers amidst security challenges in Nigeria.
Many Nigerians wondered why an Assistant Commissioner of Police expected to secure civilians was easily kidnapped.
Reacting to this in its statement, the police said Mr Rabo was “positionally unlucky.”
“The officer was travelling in his civil dress, with his private vehicle and without escort or any special security at the time of the incident.”
“He was not targeted as a cop. It was purely an opportunistic crime, indiscriminately and maliciously targeted at citizens using that particular road. He was, perhaps, positionally unlucky at the time of the incident!”
The police did not speak on the fate of Mr Rabo’s driver and whether he was also rescued.
Mr Rabo joined the list of security officials who have had their share in the menace of insecurity in the country.
In August, a Divisional Police Officer identified as Mr Okoro was kidnapped along the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha Expressway while on his way to Asaba, the Delta State capital, for an official assignment. He was later freed after reportedly paying N3 million ransom.
In May, two officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were kidnapped in Osun. They were released after the payment of N1 million ransom.
Many civilians have also been victims of kidnappers who often demand ransom.
