Lagos — Following the spate of kidnapping in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Zone 6 of the Nigeria Police said it has mapped out strategy to surmount the embarrassing development that appears to threaten the economy and well being of residents.

Assistant Inspector of Police, AIG, in charge of the zone, Mr. Azubuiko Udah, told the press in Port Harcourt, last weekend, that those behind the act have been identified and would soon be unmasked. "We know the people behind these kidnappings and those genuine militants in the sense of fighting for the redressing of the problems in the region, which the federal and state governments are tackling".

"If this kind of thing continues, it'll scare away investors that are supposed to come here and turn around the infrastructure that we need to create job opportunities for people in this area. I know by the time the people are empowered, all these militancy and kidnapping will stop", he said. Udah said he was in the command to identify, know its problems as well as go back and take necessary measures to address them, called for the protection of policemen and their rights, expressing its readiness to partner with non-governmental organisations in achieving this. He praised NGO's for the advocacy and rights of all and appealing that such bodies would be advancing the role of the police if it join forces with the security agency and canvassing for its well being.

"Why is it that whenever a policeman is shot in the line of duty, nobody talks about it, that's where it ends. Nobody raises hue and cry. But when policemen have a shoot-out with suspected armed robbers, people will start talking about human rights, extra-judicial killings and they will institute high powered investigation'.

"It is high time, the human rights groups, apart from protecting the human rights of armed robbery suspects, also, remember that policemen are human beings. So, when they are being gunned down, shot, killed and wounded fatally. They (human rights groups) should also talk about the fundamental rights of policemen."