The Nigeria Police Force says it will always discourage families of kidnap victims from negotiating ransom with kidnappers in a bid to rescue their loves ones from captivity.
The police said it was its duty to protect lives and property in the country but can only achieve that through the cooperation of the people.
Speaking while featuring on a radio programme in Akure, Ondo State, spokesperson for the police in the state, Mr Femi Joseph, accused families of some kidnap victims of always thwarting the efforts of police from rescuing their loved ones by negotiating with kidnappers.
He said, “We have never encouraged family of any kidnapped victim to negotiate with kidnappers in case of abduction because it is like a double crime.
“But you know in the desperate bid to get their loved ones out of the hook, you would see the family of kidnapped victims sourcing for money to pay for ransom.
“And at times, such attitude do affect our job in tracking these criminals because they would have threatened them that the police must not be involved.
“When a kidnap case occurs, you come to the police and make a report. So, we are expected to swing into action but you see many of them abandon their cooperation with us and start negotiation with the kidnappers. They turn around to blame us when things go wrong.”
Joseph asked the people to always cooperate with the police by furnishing them with useful information when cases of kidnapping occur in the state.
