Police officers allegedly turn kidnappers, abduct hotel staff, demand ransom in Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended at least four of its officers on allegations of kidnapping a hotel staff in Port-Harcourt, the state’s capital. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatunji Disu, confirmed this development during a press briefing, stating that the four officers involved in the crime have been taken into custody.

Commissioner Disu revealed that he learned about the incident through social media and promptly took action to secure the victim’s release and apprehend the perpetrators. He emphasized transparency in the handling of the case and assured the public that details would be provided once an official complaint was received.

“They have been arrested. I am waiting for a complaint from the victim, so that I will know what and what to look out for. The officers are in custody. We are not hiding anything. When the complaint comes, we will give you details of what we have done. If I don’t get complaints from members of the public on this, I will believe everything is okay. All of us are in this together,” Disu stated.

According to reports gathered on Tuesday, some police officers on patrol intercepted Darlington Bieh around Choba in the Obio/Akpor part of the state over the weekend and took him to an undisclosed location. After searching the victim’s belongings and finding nothing incriminating, the officers discovered photos indicating that Bieh worked in a prominent hotel.

Subsequently, the officers allegedly demanded that the victim contact his family to send a significant amount of money, threatening to harm him and dispose of his body in the Choba River if their demands were not met. Bieh, however, contacted his hotel owner boss, who promptly alerted a Divisional Police Officer (DPO). The DPO, posing as the victim’s father, played a crucial role in the arrest of the suspects.