The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Pankshin Division in Pankshin local government area of Plateau state has been kidnapped by suspected bandits.
It was gathered that the police officer popularly called SP Lareee, was abducted on Thursday, at WOKTORI Hotel in Pankshin.
The DPO, was said to have been kidnapped by the bandits after they shot him in his hotel room in the council area.
It was further learnt that the police officer had just resumed posting as the DPO in the area a day before his abduction.
A source said, “The DPO was just posted to Pankshin about three days ago. He was staying in a hotel in Pankshin and was in that hotel when the gunmen came and shot him before taking him away. Since then, we have not seen him.”
However, a resident of Pankshin who did not want to be named told Vanguard that kidnapping has been rife in the local community in recent times and everyone lives in fear.
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According to him, “The incident happened close to our house, as we just ended our night prayers with my family, we heard gunshots, we tried to find out what was happening and we learned that some armed men went to Woktori hotel. It was this morning that we got to know that it was the kidnappers that kidnapped the newly posted DPO in Pankshin. We learnt that the man just came and was lodged in the hotel when they came to kidnap him.
“There has been a spike in the incidents of kidnapping recently. Some business people with fancy houses have been targeted, they would be kidnapped, they will pay the ransom, and be released. One was even killed. The staff of the federal government institution here is not spared. Virtually every week, you will hear of one incident, once they know you are rich, they will come to the house.
“Everyone is living in fear even this night between 7 and 8 pm, there were still gunshots but we don’t know where or what it is. It is becoming rampant and we are getting used to it. By tomorrow we will hear what caused it. The DPO is very new, we don’t know him because he just resumed duty.”