"We Wanted to Buy Property in Lagos": Man and Wife Stage Fake Kidnap to Extort N5m from Family

• The Nigerian police have warned the public against the growing trend of self-abduction in the country
• The paramilitary force stated that the act was a clear violation of the Nigerian constitution and is punishable in the court of law
• Three suspects have been arrested on the counts of faking their own abduction in a bid to extort money from their relatives

The Nigeria Police Force has issued a warning against the recent trend of self-kidnapping, which is a criminal offence under the law.

The police said that there are legal consequences for those who engage in such activities, and urged the public to desist from them.

This comes after several incidents of self-kidnapping were reported and foiled in various locations, including Lagos, Plateau, and Abuja.

According to the police in a post on X, self-kidnapping is a scheme where people fake their own abduction and demand ransom from their relatives or friends, usually for financial gain or personal reasons.

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The police said that this is a disturbing and deceptive act that exploits the prevailing security challenges and the sympathy of the public, the Vanguard reported.

The police also said that they have arrested and charged some suspects who were involved in self-kidnapping cases recently.

Couple stage kidnap to get ransom

One of the cases involved a married couple in Lagos, who planned and executed their own kidnapping to get N5 million from their family.

The husband, a 53-year-old technician, and the wife, a 48-year-old body massager and bone setter, confessed that they wanted to use the money to buy a property in Badagry, Lagos.

They said that they resorted to self-kidnapping because of their financial difficulties and lack of support from their relatives. They were arrested and taken to court after a family member reported the matter to the police.

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Police arrest man in Plateau for self-abduction

Another case earlier reported by Legit.ng involved a man in Plateau state, who was notorious for staging his own kidnapping multiple times and receiving ransoms from unsuspecting members of his community.

The police said that the man, who lives in Jenta Apata, Jos, had been doing this for a long time and had collected millions of naira from his victims. He was finally exposed and arrested by the police after a tip-off from a concerned citizen.

The third case involved a young man in Abuja, who faked his own kidnapping to defraud his family member who lives in River Park Estate, Abuja.

The man, who is in his twenties, said that he wanted to make money to pay for his personal pleasures. He was arrested by the police after they foiled his staged kidnapping and traced his location.

Source: Legit.ng