Group condemns kidnappings, urges support for IGP Arase

FREE Society Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organ­isation, NGO, committed to anti-crime and police support initiatives has con­demned the criminal ac­tivities of some gangs that recently kidnapped former Secretary to the Govern­ment of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae and wife of the Deputy Managing Director of The Sun News­papers, Mrs Toyin Nwosu.
The body, in a statement signed by its Media and Public Affairs Director, Mr Demola Williams said it is sure that “with the current policing strategies being deployed by the Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase, the nation will soon overcome the challenge of kidnapping just as it is surmounting the terrorism scourge at the moment.
“We particularly wish to condemn attempts by some persons and groups to put the blame of the incident in Akure on the IGP. We daresay this because, from our enquiries with the po­lice authorities, Arase never supported nor paid any ransom and was not aware that any ransom was paid to the kidnappers of Falae. We found out that the IGP relocated to Ondo state with his team to track down Falae’s abductors as his re­sponsibility demands and in obedience to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“For us, the IGP’s deci­sion to distance himself from the notion of pay­ing any ransom is totally logical and in order. This is because, any public ac­knowledgement of the pay­ment of ransom to criminal gangs will not curb such criminal venture but will rather encourage others to go into it.
“What our nation needs at this critical time in our history is to be our brother’s keeper and support all our law enforcement agencies so that we can all live in a free society. Any attempt to shift focus from this goal to blame game and ‘pull him down syndrome’ can only be to the benefit of criminal gangs.
“Our engagements with the police authorities show that IGP Arase is on top of the job and will need our support to achieve great feats with on-going ef­forts. This is why we com­mend him for always being on his toes and equally challenge him never to slow down or rest on his current efforts to rid our so­ciety of criminal elements.