A 23-year-old boy, Edward Okache has been arrested along with four others for faking his own kidnap by Ogun State Police Command.
Newsonline reports that Edward Okache was arrested along with Asamoah Ernest, Isiah Uti, Ephraim Anyijor and Charity Lukpata on the 10th October, Police said.
Police statement said, “the suspects were arrested following a report lodged at Mowe divisional headquarters by one Comfort Okache who reported via phone call that his younger brother who traveled from Calabar to Lagos was kidnapped around Mowe area of Ogun state and that the kidnappers were demanding for N10 million if the relations want to see the boy alive. Upon the report, the DPO Mowe division, SP Folake Afeniforo mobilized the division’s tactical teams and moved to the area.”
Police added that “upon painstaking and enduring combing of the surrounding bush at Orimerunmu area, the victim was sighted in an uncompleted building with the duo of Asamoah Ernest a Ghanaian and Isiah Uti, where he was tied in both hands and legs.”
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It further disclosed that ‘the two suspects found with him were promptly arrested, while the victim was rescued. But on getting to the station, the two arrested suspects made a shocking revelation that the so-called victim was the person who planned with them to kidnap him in order for him to extort money from his parent to invest in an online business.”
They stated further that “the so-called victim was introduced to them by Ephraim Anyijor and Charity Lukpata who are from the same Yala local government area of Cross River as the victim, and that they are all part of the planned kidnap of Edward Ochace. Their confession led to the arrest of Ephraim Anyijor and Charity Lukpatan. They have all confessed to the commission of the crime.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has directed that the suspects be transferred to anti-kidnapping unit of the state criminal investigation department for further investigation and possible prosecution.
