Shock as kidnapped DPO regains freedom after payment of ransom

A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Delta State who was allegedly kidnapped at the weekend along the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway has regained his freedom.

The victim whose name was given as Mr. Okoro is in charge of Galilee Police Station, Ute-Ogbeje community in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.

An inside source at the state police command headquarters in Asaba told our correspondent that the victim was freed by his abductors after a ransom of N3 million was paid.

The said DPO was kidnapped between Onicha-Ugbo and Issele-Uku on the expressway while on his way to Asaba for official assignment last Friday by gunmen who shot sporadically before whisking him away to an unknown destination.

He was said to have breathed the sweet air freedom on Sunday after the negotiated ransom was dropped at a designated location for the abductors to grab.

But the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyinka Adeleke, however, denied the incident and the subsequent payment of ransom, saying that it was the DPO’s friend that was allegedly kidnapped on the fateful day.

Adeleke who said he was in touch with the DPO, added that the police would never encourage anybody to pay ransom for their kidnapped friend or relative to be freed.