Three arrested in Ondo over alleged self-kidnap plot
By Boye Oyeyemi –
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested three suspects for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping to extort money from a family.
Police spokesman, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, said in a statement on Thursday that the case was initially reported as the abduction of a 22-year-old truck driver, Tobi Oluwatuyi, at Ilu Abo in Akure.
According to the statement, detectives began investigations and discovered that Oluwatuyi had planned the kidnap with two others, Jubril Abu, 20, and Segun Oluwatuyi, 21.
The trio allegedly demanded ₦1.5 million from the victim’s family, who paid the money believing the abduction was real.
The command stated that all three suspects confessed and would be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, urged residents to report kidnapping cases promptly and warned against paying ransoms or staging fake abductions.
He assured the public that the state will not tolerate criminal activities and encouraged citizens to use the command’s emergency contacts for reports and enquiries.
