The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a teenager, Ujunwa Offiah, for allegedly scheming with her boyfriend, Blessed Ifesinachi, to fake her kidnap and request N30m ransom from her family.
The police likewise arrested an accomplice, Precious Chukwu, 22, whose telephone was supposedly used to negotiate with Offiah’s family.
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The State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, while parading the suspects at the command headquarters on Monday, said the chief suspect, Ifesinachi, was on the loose.
Odumosu stated, “This is an instance of the scheme and arranged kidnapping, and the man at the focal point of this case, who turns out to be a Uber driver, is still on the loose. We are following him since he planned with one of these two women, Offiah, who faked her kidnap.
“He cunningly utilized the telephone of another sweetheart, Precious (Chukwu), to contact Offiah’s family, advising them that their little girl had been kidnapped.
“He mentioned N30m from Offiah’s family to get her liberated and during dealings, which included the police, they made do with N700,000. While the cash was being dropped, we made a move and in the process arrested Offiah and Precious.”
Talking with columnists, Offiah said she kidded about the kidnap with Ifesinachi, adding that she was amazed he paid attention to it.
She stated, “I met Ifesinachi in October, and when we got talking, I flippantly advised him to kidnap me with the goal that he would gather ransom from my sister. I never realized that he paid attention to it until he disclosed to me he had gone to the town to meet a local specialist and furthermore examined with his folks about the arrangement. At the point when he said he was prepared, he understood that I was frightened and taken steps to murder me on the off chance that I educated anyone regarding the arrangement.
” I wouldn’t tell anyone since he is a cultist. On November 27, on my way back from school, I went to meet him and a young lady, Patience, at second Rainbow, and from that point, we went to an inn. At the inn, he called my sister to request N30m as ransom, however when I heard that my grandma had fallen in the town due to what befallen me, I advised him to acknowledge any sum they advertised.
“On Thursday, he went to get the cash and returned to the inn on Friday morning. He revealed to me he gathered N600,000 and delivered me from that point. At the point when I saw my relatives, I disclosed to them that I was kidnapped by certain folks. I deceived my family and the police since he took steps to murder me, including my sister’s youngsters. It was the point at which I saw his better half and my schoolbag that I admitted about the entire kidnap.”
Chukwu denied realizing that her telephone was being utilized to arrange the ransom.
She stated, “He (Ifesinachi) requested my telephone that he needed to utilize it for business. I never realized he needed to utilize it to do this sort of a thing. I was at my work environment when the police came to arrest me.”