PRESS RELEASE

WILFUL
SUMMARY DISMISSAL OF A CLEAR CUT CASE OF KIDNAPPING IN A CALCULATED ATTEMPT TO
FRUSTRATE THE COMMAND'S EFFORTS AT TACKLING INCIDENTS OF KIDNAPPING:
On
7/3/2014; a case of kidnapping of one Grace Obi 'f' aged 33yrs was reported at
Area Commander's office, Warri. Investigation into the case revealed that the
kidnapped victim - Grace Obi actually masterminded her kidnap in a bid to
extort money from her husband. This assertion is re-enforced by the fact that
out of the N1.5m paid as ransom for the
release of the victim who spent 3 days in the custody of the phantom kidnapping
gang - N1.2m was recovered from the
victim herself, while N300,000.00 was
allegedly used to settle the gang for their role.

        The kidnapped victim and a member of the gang were arrested
who made confessional statements, giving a graphic narration of the incident.

        After several overtures made by some highly placed citizens
persuading the Command to compromise the case; the Command refused to
bulge mainly
on the ground that we deemed it necessary to send a clear message across on the
Command's uncompromising stance on cases of kidnapping. Hence on 21/3/2014, the
2 suspects were arraigned in Magistrate Court II Otor-Odu Warri, presided over
by Mrs Vivian Duku Tadafe - Senior Magistrate Grade I - being the
Court of 1st instance in a 3 count charge of Conspiracy and Kidnapping
under the enabling
provisions of the State Anti-Kidnapping Law 2012.

In
clear violation of the extant law under which the suspects were charged which
bequeaths exclusive jurisdiction on the High Court; the trial Magistrate
summarily discharged and acquitted the accused persons, thus attempting to
dampen the morale of the personnel of the Command in our ongoing fight against
incidents of kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes in the State.

CP IKECHUKWU ADUBA NPM, PSC (+)
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
DELTA STATE COMMAND
ASABA