[via Thisday]

The kidnap of four journalists and their driver in Abia State last week has put the nation’s security agencies on the spot as the Senate, Presidency and opinion leaders put pressure on the police to check the state of insecurity now prevalent across the country.
On Friday, a new dimension to the discussion on the menace of kidnapping was opened as a Lagos-based human rights activist and lawyer Femi Falana told President Goodluck Jonathan that the top hierarchy of the police were colluding with kidnappers in perpetrating their acts.
In a two page letter to President Jonathan titled “Connivance of Police Authorities in the Rising wave of Kidnapping in Nigeria” and dated July 16, Falana states: “It is common knowledge that the leadership of the police has been aiding and abetting kidnapping and other violent crimes in several parts of the federation.”
Falana cited two cases in which he claimed “the security of innocent people has been compromised by the police authorities who have enriched themselves at the expense of law and order.
“In July 2009,” he continued, “Alhaji Mohammed Hassan, a former Minister and a senior lawyer petitioned the Inspector General of Police over the brutal killing of 71 persons in Gombe State by an official killer squad known as ‘Kalare’. In the investigation of the petition, the Police confirmed the serious allegations.
“But instead of charging the suspects to court for the heinous crimes of kidnapping, abduction, rape, armed robbery, etc, the Police Authorities in Abuja in collaboration with the Gombe State Government arraigned the petitioner before a Gombe Magistrate Court where he was charged with giving false information to the Inspector of Police. Although the frivolous charge has been quashed in favour of Alhaji Hassan the ‘Kalare’ has continued to unleash terror on the innocent people of Gombe State.More here