The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Walw Abass, has directed the immediate deployment of tactical teams within and around Asaba, the state capital, after a middle-aged man narrated in a viral video how he was kidnapped in the capital city on Saturday around 9 p.m.
The man, a Globacom customer who made the video at the front of a Glo office in Asaba said, “It is a life story here in Asaba. I was a victim of kidnap along GLA Road around 9 p.m to 10 p.m. Everybody needs to be careful in Asaba. Asaba is not safe. I paid ransom.
“I was with my family. They dragged my family down, pushed me into their own car, then drove off with mine too, took me to an unknown location. There was also a victim inside the car. The victim was shot in the leg. We were later released at about 2 a.m along Ibusa road by the College of Education.
“From there, a good Samaritan drove us to A Division where we made our complaint. From there, they took us to FMC for treatment. The kidnappers don’t know me. They are just random kidnappers.”
Reacting to the incident, the police commissioner in a statement issued by the State Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, said in recent times, the command had not recorded or received any reports of kidnapping in the Asaba metropolis but assured residents of the city and the state in general, of the Command’s commitment to tackle the menace head-on.
“The Command is aware of the viral video clip circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms of a young man narrating how he was allegedly kidnapped in Asaba.
“Though in recent times the command has not recorded or received any reports of kidnapping in the Asaba metropolis, however, the testimony of the narrator is particularly disturbing.
“The victim has reported to the police and the DPO 'A' Division Asaba alongside the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad are currently working on available details to unravel and arrest the suspects.
“The Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Wale Abass PSC has directed the Asaba Area Commander to coordinate an intensive and confidence-building patrol around the metro.
“In compliance with this directive, deployments of combat operatives were drawn from Dragon Patrol, Safer Highway, Eagle-Net, Raiders, Safe Delta, and Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
“In the same vein, the command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber-Crime Squad (SAKCCS) has been mandated to go all out and arrest the perpetrators, while operatives of SIB have been deployed to embark on undercover policing duties and intelligence gathering.
“The CP reaffirms and assures residents in the State of the Command’s commitment to providing security for all and ensuring that the entire state is safe. Members of the public are urged to go about their lawful business while monitoring their environment and report any suspicious person or movement to the Police,” the statement read.