Police to investigate alleged payment of ransom

chika ebuzor

September 30, 2015 5:18 AM

Whatever the family did as regards payment of ransom was outside the knowledge and consent of the police and at this point, we wish to advice that in future, families who fall victims of such acts should rather work closely with the police.

Olu Falae

Following the revelation by Chief Olu Falae that money was paid for his release, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has dissociated the police from the alleged ransom payment.

Sun Newspapers reports that the police, in a rejoinder titled: Re: Ransom Payment By The Family Of Chief Olu Falae, promised to investigate the alleged payment of ransom.

The rejoinder reads “Whatever the family did as regards payment of ransom was outside the knowledge and consent of the police and at this point, we wish to advice that in future, families who fall victims of such acts should rather work closely with the police component of the rescue initiative so that we can achieve the primary purpose of rescuing the victim alive instead of wittingly or unwittingly giving the impression of encouraging criminal activity by rewarding criminals with payment of ransom.

“In this instance, having confirmed that ransom was paid to the abductors, the police will be interested in widening their investigative scope with a view to exploring the lead further to regard to how payment was made and to whom such payment was made.

“If the payment was perfected through bank transactions, the police have the capacity to track such transaction and will be liasing with the bank to enable us track the cash and apprehend the perpetrators. This could be an added lead that could strengthen ongoing post kidnapping efforts of the police”.

chika ebuzor