Kidnapped Mopol Commander: Police arrest dismissed cop, 4 others

The police have arrested a former Recruit and four others for allegedly kidnapping ASP Solomon Aniefiok, the Unit Commander of Mopol 55, based in Aba, Abia State.

The gang also collected an undisclosed ransom, before the police officer was freed, it was gathered.

A source close to the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) confirmed the arrest to newsmen in Lagos, on Friday.

The source said the suspects were arrested on Friday, stressing that they kidnapped the officer on January 14, while conducting a check on his men on duty.

It was gathered that the suspects suddenly blocked and kidnapped the officer using AK-47 rifles.

“He was eventually released three days later after ransom was paid,’’ the source said.

Irked by the development, the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Ibrahim Idris was said to have deployed the Intelligence Response Team to Abia.

“Based on the IGP’s directive, one of the best IRT teams was deployed and after six days of unrelenting follow up, five of the kidnappers were arrested alive and one died during a gun battle with IRT operatives,” the source said.

It was further gathered that one of the suspects and ring leader of the kidnapping gang was a recruit dismissed in 2006. (NAN)