A middle-aged housewife, identified as Mrs. Yemi Samuel, has been arrested by men of the Kwara State Police Command for allegedly faking her own kidnap, in Kabba, Kogi State.
Mrs. Samuel was among the nine suspects paraded by the police, in Ilorin, on Wednesday.
Three other suspects, Jenmo Usman, 27, Iliashu Mohammed, 25, and Maude Umaru, 21, all suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, were apprehended for alleged kidnapping, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.
The trio were alleged to have conspired and threatened their employer, one Sarafa Yusuf, on the telephone that they would kidnap him if he failed to give them N2 million.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, said Mrs. Samuel, who lives in Kabba, went into hiding at her parents’ home, in Ilorin, and claimed that she was kidnapped by unknown persons, while she was cleaning the compound and taken to an unknown destination.
CP Egbetokun stated that from her hideout, the suspect demanded N5 million ransom, which was later reduced to N1 million.
The police boss said her husband and family members was able to raise N500,000 which was taken to Iluke in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
CP Egbetokun said before the completion of the transaction, State Intelligence Bureau operatives had tracked the suspect to the Kulende area of Ilorin, where she was arrested.
The police boss stated, “On June 15, 2019, around 5.30am, Mrs. Yemi Samuel hatched a self-kidnap scenario; she left her home and went into hiding, claiming that she had been kidnapped while cleaning the compound by unknown persons and taken to an unknown destination, adding that her abductors had demanded N5 million ransom for her release.
“She added that her kidnappers weren’t willing to talk to anyone on the phone due to fear of their voices been recognised.
“She later called and said that the ransom had been reduced to N1 million.
“Effort was intensified and N500,000 was arranged by her husband as well as family members and well-wishers.
“She directed them to take the money to Iluke town, but before the transaction could be effected, SIB operatives in Kwara, led by the Officer in Charge, Saka Fagade, tracked the suspect to the Kulende area, Sango, Ilorin, and arrested her.
“She had hid herself in her parents’ rented apartment.”
Mrs. Samuel, who said she was a Mathematics graduate, confessed to committing the crime in order to raise money for her husband, whom she said was poor.
Mrs. Samuel was quoted as saying, “I’m a graduate of Mathematics and I live in Kabba with my husband.
“Things are hard for us and my husband is not finding life easy; so I decided to raise money for him from members of his family; that was why I went to hide myself thinking that his family would raise the money for him to rescue me,” she stated.
As for the three suspects, who allegedly demanded N2 million from their boss so that they would not kidnap him, CP Egbetokun said, “On June 10, 2019, one Sarafa Yusuf of the Kebe Compound, Ilota via Idofian, Kwara State, reported that on June 9, 2019, around 6:00p.m, he received a phone call and the caller demanded N2 million from him or else he would be kidnapped and killed.
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“Based on this, the complainant made an arrangement with the police on where to drop the money, which was at the Iyana Eleja junction via Idofian.
“It was later discovered that one Jenmo Usman, an employee of the complainant, was the one who picked the polythene bag containing the money at 11.30a.m. and he was immediately arrested by the police.
“His arrest led to the nabbing of two other suspects, Iliasu Mohammed and Maude Umaru, who also work for the complainant.”
CP Egbetokun added that all the suspects would soon be charged to court upon the completion of investigation into the respective cases.
The police boss also said five other suspects were apprehended in connection with last week’s protest, in Ilorin, by commercial motorcyclists.
He added that they were arrested for conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, disturbance of the public peace, rioting with dangerous weapons, intimidation and causing grievous hurt and mischief by fire.