Ex-local lawmaker arrested over alleged kidnap attempt

The police in Delta State said they have arrested a former legislative member of Ndokwa West Local Government Council, Delta State, for an alleged attempt to kidnap a woman in Abbi community in the state.

Bright Edafe, the police spokesperson in Delta, said, in a statement on Sunday in Asaba, that the former councillor was arrested following discreet intelligence gathering by police operatives.

According to Mr Edafe, the Divisional Police Officer, Abbi Division, Florence Onum received credible intelligence report that the former lawmaker was “planning to kidnap a prominent member of Abbi community”.

Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police, said that operatives embarked on a discreet investigation based on this intelligence report. On 21 October, at about 9 p.m., the lawmaker (name withheld) from the Emu-Uno community and one other person were arrested.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect said he was suspended from his councillorship position and that he wanted to kidnap the woman so that the local government would pay a ransom since the woman was close to the council chairman,” Mr Edafe said.

The spokesperson said the suspect was in police custody and that the investigation was ongoing.

He quoted the Delta Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, as reiterating the police’s commitment to ensure that crime is reduced in the state.

Mr Abaniwonda said the crime rate was likely to increase because of the Yuletide and that the command had deployed police operatives across the 25 local government areas in the state.

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“The command has embarked on an intensive visibility patrol while constant raiding of criminal hideouts and black spots will be intensified.

“Members of the public are urged to partner with the police by providing useful, timely, and credible information that will help the police in the fight against crime,” he said.

(NAN)