The Divisional Crime Officer, DCO, Isuochi Police station in Umunneochi council area of Abia State, simply identified as DSP Dickson, has been kidnapped by gunmen.
The policeman was said to have been abducted in broad day light three days go, Thursday, August 10, in the area while other policemen escaped by whiskers in the attack.
According to Vanguard, some policemen who pleaded anonymity said that the morale of officers in the area has gone down since the kidnap of the DCO who is described as a ‘tough cop.’
The Police authorities was said to have deployed all the tactical Squads of the State Police Command to rescue the victim and his abductors, all to no avail.
The unsuccessful search by the tactical team is said to have fueled speculation about the safety of the top policeman.
The family of the kidnapped DCO has reportedly paid an undisclosed amount of ransom demanded by his abductors, yet the DCO is still held captive, Vanguard reports.
The policemen said; “DSP Dickson hails from Enugu State. He has a health challenge and barely has just a few months to retire from the Nigeria Police. The police authorities have deployed the tactical team who went and combed the area to no avail. They have also sent some of us, but we are aware that they have not done enough to rescue him.
“The People of the state have complained about the rising rate of insecurity in the state and demanding for redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in the state. Everyday they say Abia is peaceful and secure, but kidnappers are having a field day abducting and killing people.
“They’re saying all those things because we the affected police officers are not speaking up. There are serious security challenges all over the state, especially the Umunneochi/Isuikwuato axis. I don’t understand why the authorities are playing politics with reality. Why can’t they accept that there’s a problem and call for help? What’s happening all over the country is also here, but our own is suppressed and underreported.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, was yet to comment on the incident,as at the time of filing this report.