Abuja NGO Boss Reported Suspected Kidnapper at Checkpoint. Policemen Let Suspects Escape With His Belongings
Stephen Ime, the director general of the Centre for International Integrity, Peace and Development (CIIPAD), a non-governmental organisation, has accused the Abuja police of allowing a suspected kidnapper to escape with his property on the night of May 6.
He wants Tunji Disu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to set up a panel to investigate the incident and ensure those responsible are brought to justice…WATCH VIDEO CLIP HERE
During a phone call with FIJ on May 13, one week after the incident, Ime, who stays in Abuja, explained that the suspected kidnapper was the driver of a vehicle he had boarded that night...READ FULL STORY; FROM THE SOURCE.
He had to take up a job far from his residence, and the offer included accommodation in Jabi.
“That evening, I had gone back to pack some of my things. I packed some kitchen essentials, including a gas cooker, pots, pressing iron, my very expensive, fingerprint laptop, a bag of clothes, which included five pairs of ironed agbada and suits and my Android phone,” Ime told FIJ.
Other missing items included his driver’s licence, CIIPAD certificate of registration, a button phone, a large power bank, a vetting letter from the Department of State Services (DSS) and a handbag containing personal documents and letters.
Ime said that the suspected kidnapping incident happened around 9 pm after he boarded a commercial vehicle at the Lugbe Federal Housing underbridge, heading towards the Banex area.
He said the vehicle he initially boarded was meant to take him directly to his destination, but shortly after leaving the Lugbe Federal Housing area, it began to overheat.
“So, I said I would not just wait. I decided to look for a vehicle heading towards Banex Junction underbridge so I could cross over and board another vehicle straight to Jabi,” the CIIPAD DG said.
“I stopped this young man, and there was a guy inside [the car] with one other lady. I put my load in the boot, and I sat in the back. The male passenger was at the front. He and the driver were speaking Hausa.
“After the lady dropped, he came to sit at the back where I was seated. I just kept quiet. I was just watching. I told the driver that I would increase the fare. I told him not to bother picking up another passenger and that he should go straight to the Banex underbridge.
“Suddenly, I saw him going off the road. We have a straight road from Lugbe to Banex. No diversion. When the man diverted, I asked him, ‘Sir, where are you going to?’”
Ime said that he told the driver to stop, but rather than stopping, the driver increased his speed. He attempted to open the door so he could force himself out of the moving vehicle, but the other passenger held him back and slammed the door on his fingers during the struggle.
Ime said the vehicle later ran into a police checkpoint, where other motorists noticed his distress and helped block the vehicle to prevent the driver from reversing.
Ime said he approached a police woman who was in mufti at the checkpoint, whom he would later identify as Hyelhira Altine, the Maitama Divisional Police Officer (DPO). According to him, she dismissed his complaint and did not take immediate steps to restrain the driver.
He also said an Assistant Superintendent of Police, identified as Joseph, slapped him, deleted video recordings from his phone and threatened to shoot him if he did not leave the checkpoint.
The CIIPAD director said the driver later drove off with all his belongings after the police officers failed to listen to his complaint.
While narrating what transpired at the police checkpoint, he told FIJ:
Ime wrote a petition to the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on May 14, and it was acknowledged the same day.
In the petition, Ime mentioned that the policeman who slapped him and deleted videos from his phone had cocked his gun and threatened to shoot him if he did not leave the checkpoint.
Imeh told FIJ that he reported the matter to Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, the Commissioner of Police (CP) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The police at the checkpoint did not even know the plate number of the car. They were not able to say anything. The DPO was still insulting me in front of the CP. She claimed I insulted her,” he said.
“The CP asked her what she did when I reported a suspected kidnapper, and that it was negligence on her side and unprofessional conduct. They just told me to go and that they would look into how to recover the missing items for me.”
When FIJ sent a WhatsApp message to the Maitama DPO on May 14, she wrote, “I will get back to you, please.”
At press time, she had not got back to the reporter as promised. A follow-up message was sent to her on Tuesday, but no response had been received at press time.
The DPO could not be reached for comment via phone calls on Wednesday afternoon. One, her line did not connect via WhatsApp call. When the line eventually connected during a regular call, she ended the call before the reporter could state the reason for the call. On a second attempt, her number did not connect.
FIJ also sent a WhatsApp message to Anthony Okon Placid, the spokesperson for the Nigeria police Force (NPF), on Thursday, and he replied on Friday: “I will reach out to DPO Maitama. Please, share the complainant’s number with me.”
The reporter sent the number to him on Tuesday, but it has not been acknowledged, nor has there been any feedback on whether he has contacted the DPO.
