Woman caught pretending to be kidnapped, demands for N4 million ransom- Police commissioner

An Akwa Ibom woman who allegedly staged her own kidnapping has been taken into custody by police.

Waheed Ayilara, the state’s commissioner of police, revealed this to reporters during a briefing yesterday in Uyo.

He said that 52 suspects were detained by police officers for a variety of crimes, including fraud, kidnapping, armed robbery, child trafficking, cultism, and murder.

One of them organised her own kidnapping; she is a woman from Nung Oku village in Akwa Ibom’s Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command agents captured her after she demanded ₦4 million in ransom.

He said, “On Monday, a report was received from one Enobong Sampson, stating that her sister had been abducted and the kidnappers were requesting N4 million as ransom.”

“As a result, operatives of Anti-kidnapping Squad of the Command embarked on an intense and intelligence-driven operation to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victim.

“On Tuesday, however, the purported victim and her boyfriend were arrested at a hideout at Mbierebe Obio, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.

“She confessed to have conspired with her boyfriend and three others to proclaim her kidnap to raise money from her aunty based outside the country.”

The police commissioner said that on Wednesday, police arrested a man at Uruting village in Okobo Local Government Area of the state for killing his 75-year-old father, using a machete.

The suspect claimed that his deceased father had sold all the parcels of land he had, including the one that he gave to him to build his house, as the reason for his action, the police commissioner said.

Ayilara also said that on March 8, police arrested one man at Ayam village in Etinan Local Government Area of the state for being involved in the production of adulterated fruits, drinks, and fake products.

Also on March 8, police rescued and arrested a man who used point-of-sale (POS) machines to defraud innocent citizens and was to be set ablaze but for the arrival of police operatives.

Ayilara said most of the man’s victims had identified him, and ₦350,000 cash was recovered from him at the time of arrest.

The police commissioner pledged that all the suspects would be arraigned as soon as investigations were concluded.