AFRICA DAILY NEWS gathered that the police commissioner was miffed at the publication thereby ordering their arrest and detention even after they had pulled down the story from the site.
The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ali has been accused of detaining three persons over the alleged publication of an unverified news report on an online news platform, 'Mikiya Hausa' that he was kidnapped.
Four persons initially arrested over the issue were identified as Alhaji Sani Ahmad; his younger brother, Aminu Ahmad; Aminu's wife and Sani's friend, Hamisu Inuwa. They were arrested separately on November 12 and 13, 2022 at Nasarawa. But Aminu’s wife was released on the same day while the three others were detained for over two weeks.
SaharaReporters gathered that the police commissioner was miffed at the publication thereby ordering their arrest and detention even after they had pulled down the story from the site.
Africa Daily News also learnt that the sum of N2 million was extorted from the victims by the police who forced them to make withdrawals from their bank accounts.
It was also gathered that the police commissioner through his brother, Alhaji Kano Doma who resides in Nasarawa instructed them to pay the sum of N5 million for alleged defamation, telling them that N3 million would be given to Ali (police commissioner) and that he would take N2 million.
However, the victims were eventually released on November 28, 2022, on the condition that they must pay N5 million.
Meanwhile, their lawyer, I. H. Nalaraba had in a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police demanded the transfer of the case from Delta State Command for proper investigation.
Nalaraba stated that the police commissioner, who is the complainant cannot be said to have been affected by a publication made in Nasarawa State, while the matter is being investigated in Delta State.
The petition read in part, "Sir, our brief revealed that the money extorted from our clients while in detention is over N2,000,000:00 (Two Million Naira) yet the police in Delta State Command are waiting for our clients to bring another sum of N5,000,000:00 (Five Million Naira).
"Most of the payments were done and removed through a POS kept by the Delta State Police Command. Identity of the POS is also known to our clients.
"All we demanded on behalf of our clients is a transfer of the case from Delta State Command to your good office for proper investigation.”
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