A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Delta State simply identified as Okoro, has reportedly regained his freedom from suspected kidnappers after he allegedly paid N3 million as ransom.
According to Punch, the DPO, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) who headed Galilee police station, Ute-Ogbeje community in Ika North-East local government area, got his freedom on Sunday, 11th August 2019, after he was kidnapped between Onicha-Ugbo and Issele-Uku along the Benin-Onitsha expressway.
The gunmen were said to have shot sporadically before whisking the DPO was away to an unknown destination.
A source at the state police command headquarters in Asaba told the Punch that the victim regained his freedom on Sunday after the negotiated N3 million ransom was dropped at a designated location for the abductors to pick, which subsequently led to the release of the DPO.
However, the Commissioner of Police Delta State, Mr. Adeyinka Adeleke, denied the incident and the subsequent payment of ransom.
He said it was the DPO’s friend, who was kidnapped. He added that he had been in touch with the DPO and that the police does not support the payment of ransom for kidnap victims.