FCT Minister places N20 million bounty on fleeing kidnappers

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has offered a N20 million reward to the FCT Police Command for the arrest of two suspected kidnappers at large.

The FCT Minister made the offer during his maiden visit to the FCT Police Command in Abuja on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, where some arrested criminals, including kidnappers and one chance robbers were paraded by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benedict Igwe.

Barr. Wike who was informed that the FCT Police Command was on the trail of two suspected kidnappers at large, following the arrests of their wives when they attempted to collect ransom payments for kidnapped victims in the FCT, urged the police to go after the criminals wherever they may be hiding and make sure they are apprehended.

He said, “Let me put money on their head. Wherever they are, put your men out there. I will give them N20 million. Go and fish them out wherever they are. I want to see them alive or dead.”

The FCT Minister also commended the FCT Commissioner of Police and his men for their efforts in addressing the security challenges in the FCT, saying that there has been marked improvement in the security situation in the FCT since the new CP assumed office.

He assured that the FCTA, with the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will provide operational vehicles and other communication gadgets to the FCT Police Command in the next few days to improve their crime-fighting capabilities.

He said, “Let me assure you that we will do everything humanly possible to provide you with all that you require to fight crime and criminality in this FCT. We believe that in the next few days, you will have more vehicles, you will have more communication gadgets that will enable you and your men to face these criminals”.

Stressing that information is key, Barr. Wike also called on members of the public to see the police as their friends and provide credible intelligence that will lead to the arrest of criminals, even as he urged the police to improve their intelligence-gathering ability.

The Minister also charged the press to report the positive achievements of the security agencies, saying it was wrong to focus only on the negatives.

He said, “Try and publicize the positive aspects of what they are doing, not everyday negative because if FCT is not safe, you as journalists too, you can’t be here. So, we need a safe environment for you to be able to carry out your own job”.

Earlier in his remarks, the FCT Police Commissioner disclosed that the operatives of Utako Divisional Headquarters, in concert with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the FCT Police Command, arrested seven (7) wanted kidnapping suspects, including two women.

The Police Commissioner said the apprehended suspects were responsible for some of the heinous crimes in the FCT, including kidnappings and killing of 14 victims between November last year and January 2024 before their arrests.

He said the suspects were arrested in Pyakassa, Tudun Wada, and Ketti village, and held in connection with the kidnapping of 14 notable persons in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the police also recovered N9 million cash, purportedly paid as ransom to the kidnappers as well as guns, machetes, amulets, bulletproof vests and a locally fabricated walkie-talkie, which the criminals used for their operations.

According to the CP, “These kidnappers, who have been giving FCT a sleepless night and on the wanted list of the command for a long time, have now been arrested.

“They are responsible for the kidnapping of five victims in Federal Mortgage Housing Estate, Kabusa. 3 persons at Ketti village: Fulani residents of Alhaji Sani, a woman and her gateman in Kabusa Estate, as well as one Mr Sunday Zakwai and four others.

“The kidnapping gang equally killed the district head while two staff were kidnapped at Defence Estate Kabusa by the gang,” CP Igwe said.

Similarly, the CP disclosed that a gang of armed robbers and one-chance criminals who have perpetrated several one-chance attacks on unsuspecting members of the public, causing pain and injuries, have also been arrested.

He said the operatives of the FCT Police Command attached to Mabushi Divisional Headquarters, in the continued fight against criminality, arrested eight (8) notorious armed robbery suspects terrorizing FCT.

He thanked the FCT Minister for his assistance towards the success achieved so far by the FCT Police Command and pledged that the Command will continue to take the fight to criminals and in order to stamp criminality out of the FCT.