A 20-year-old boy identified as Collins Ikwebe has been arrested for faking his own kidnapping and demanding ransom from his father.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed on Sunday that Collins, alongside five others, one male and four female were detained.
The state police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this while reacting to a post by an X user, @Flacko TG, who claimed he was detained over a crime he didn’t commit.
“Guys I’m locked up in the Ikeja police station. I don’t have enough time, and I don’t know what to do. So, this is my only alternative, so y’all know what happened to me.
“Someone faked his kidnapping and requested (a) ransom from his dad. His dad reported the case to SARS, and they tracked his phone,” the user wrote.
“I genuinely knew nothing about it until I reached the station. His dad came to the station and requested his release, but they insisted on trying the case in court, which could take up to three years to resolve. Other people who were in the apartment with him were locked up as well,” he added.
Reacting to the claim, the command spokesperson said Collins faked the self-kidnap while staying with other suspects in a short-let apartment in the Lekki, Lagos.
He said, “Following a report from his family, our investigation established that 20-year-old Collins Oluchukwu Ikwebe faked his own kidnapping. His dad received several calls from Collins’ number but with different voices giving instructions on what amount of money to be paid and methods of payment.
“At different times spanning two weeks, different sums —$500,000, $200,000, N2,000,000, N50,000, and N30,000— were requested from Collins’ dad.
“On Thursday, June 20, 2024, detectives of the Lagos State Police Command eventually busted a short-let four-bedroom apartment in Lekki where Collins and five of his schoolmates (one male, four females) had been staying for the past 10 days.”
He noted that “investigation is being concluded to establish the extent of culpability of the other five occupants of the apartment.”
