Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has offered a N20m reward to the FCT Police Command for the arrest of two most wanted kidnap suspects terrorising residents of the territory.
Wike, who announced the offer during his maiden visit to the command in Abuja on Wednesday, said the police should ensure that the suspects are arrested whether alive or dead.
The offer was in response to the remark by FCT Police Commissioner, CP Benneth Igweh, that two kidnap suspects were still on the run, while the police is on their trail.
According to him, “You said there are two kidnap suspects on the run? Let me put money on their heads. Wherever they are, send your men out there, I will give them N20 million. Go and fish them out, wherever they are. I want to see them dead or alive.”
The minister also commended FCT Commissioner of Police and his men for the arrest of some suspected criminals in the FCT, even as he assured the command that he would do everything possible to provide the police with the needed equipment to fight crimes in the territory.
“Let me assure the residents of FCT that with the support of President Bola Tinubu, we are fully prepared to take the war to the criminals. I trust the police and our confidence in them is getting stronger,” he added.
Speaking earlier, while parading the suspects, Igweh had announced the arrest of 15 suspected criminals in different parts of the FCT in the last two days.
He explained that men of the command attached to Mabushi Divisional Headquarters, arrested eight suspected armed robbers operating on One-chance vehicles to rob FCT residents.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the suspects who are responsible for several one chance activities in the past, were trailed to the Central Area in an attempt to rob some innocent residents and were arrested.
“The suspects confessed to using toy guns and knives to scare their victims to illegally obtain from them,” he said.
The commissioner said that the suspects would be charged to court soon, adding that while acting on credible intelligence, the operatives of Utako Divisional Headquarters along with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command on Feb. 13, arrested seven suspected kidnappers.
He explained that the suspects were arrested in Pyankasa, Tudun Wada and Ketti village, FCT, in connection to the kidnapping of 14 persons in the territory.
“They are responsible for the kidnapping of 5 victims in Federal Mortgage Housing Estate, Kabusa, three people at Ketti village, and Fulani residents of Alhaji Sani.
“They are also responsible for the kidnap of a woman and her gate man in Kabusa Estate, one Mr Sunday Zakwai and four others and equally Killed the district head of the area.
“The criminals also kidnapped two staff at Defence Estate Kabusa.
The commissioner said that N20 million cash, six AK 47 rifles, bulletproof vests and locally fabricated walkie talkie were recovered from the suspect, adding that all the suspects would be charged to court.