Police suspect the money was collected from kidnap victims as ransom.
The Taraba State Police Command on Tuesday says its officers rejected a bribe of over N8.5 million offered them after they intercepted a vehicle in Jalingo, the state capital.
Joseph Eribo, the state commissioner of police disclosed this while parading some suspects at the state police headquarters in Jalingo.
According to the police chief, the incident happened on Monday at about 9:45 p.m.
He said officers attached to the 40 Police Mobile Force (PMF) on a nipping point duty at Yaggai, along the Jalingo-Yola bye-pass had intercepted a Toyota Starlet car with registration number YLA 321 ZY.
Mr Eribo said the sum of N8.5 million suspected to be ransom money was found in possession of the suspect, Aliyu Mohammed, ‘M’ aged 35 years of Mubi, Adamawa State.
“When interrogated, the suspect could not give a satisfactory account of himself, hence search was conducted on his vehicle and the following items were recovered in his possession: a cash sum of eight million, five hundred and fifty- five thousand-naira (N8,555,000).”
He said other items found include seven phones, three thousand unused MTN recharge cards and seven amulets.
“The suspect bribed the PMF personnel requesting them to take the whole money and allow him to go, but the PMF personnel refused and arrested him accordingly,” Mr Eribo said.
In another development, officers attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the police arrested some suspected kidnappers and other suspects in Jalingo, Lau and Yorro, including the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping of a third-class chief of Pupule and others.
“Acting on credible information the Police operatives attached to the Anti- Kidnapping unit, on the 22/01/2024 swung into action and moved to Maihula town in Bali LGA where they arrested one Badon Linus ‘M’ 30yrs old of Gwampa village Yorro LGA.
“The suspect fled Yorro to Maihula to evade arrest after alleged participation in a series of kidnapping incidents around Yorro, Zing and Lau LGAs. The suspect has confessed to the crime, that he led the syndicate that kidnapped the third-class chief of Pupule, a pastor and others.”
Mr Eribo paraded over 20 suspects accused of taking part in kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the state.
He said several AK-47 rifles, ammunition, transformer oil and cables believed to be properties of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) were recovered from the suspects.
Mr Eribo said the Command would always remain resolute in protecting life and property in the state.
