The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has confessed that the police and other security agents used to negotiate with kidnappers to secure release of victims for one reason or the other.
The police boss, who answered reporters’ questions today, November 10, at the State House Media Briefing, organized by the Presidential Communications Team, said that there are several options to explore during kidnap incidents.
“The issue of kidnapping is an issue that borders almost all the security agents, including the military. It is a crime that once it is committed, you have to thread very softly and with all sense of professionalism.
“If you do not rescue the person, save, unhurt, you’ve not done anything and once somebody is in the captivity of an armed person, then you need to do a lot of things, it is not all about guns and other things. There are a lot of other things that can be done.
“We were able to rescue the whole of forestry students in Kaduna through negotiation and many others.”
The Inspector General of Police said that suspects arrested after the travel advisory issued by the United States and United Kingdom in Abuja will be charged to court soon.
The police boss would not give accurate number of those arrested in connection with the threats, said that the security stakeholders picked holes in the advisories because it caused apprehension among the citizens.
“Nobody has dismissed that alarm. Government never dismissed it; but we only said it was blown out of proportion or made in such a way that our people became apprehensive to the situation or to the way it was done.
“The embassies have their own responsibilities to their citizens and they can make their advice and the government has not dismissed what has happened because they have also informed us of what they foresee as threats.
“And we on our part have also looked at what they put as threat as something that has been with us and efforts are being made daily to see they those threats are mitigated or prevented from happening and that is what has been happening in Abuja and all over the country.
“Sometimes, these threats or things happen but nobody has dismissed it as mere alarm and a lot of efforts have been made, like you said to douse tension. Yes, actually arrests have been made for those, we believe are planning to commit crime in whatever form and we have done that arrest and as at when due, those arrested will be charged to court by any of the services which have them.”
