Police in Lagos expose fake kidnap plot by scrap dealer

The Police Command in Lagos State says it has uncovered a staged kidnapping allegedly orchestrated by a scrap iron dealer and his accomplices.

The scrap dealer was said to have faked his kidnap, in a bid to fraudulently obtain the sum of N1.5 million from his employer.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Fatai Tijani, disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

He said one Abubakar reported the incident to the police on May 19, at about 10 p.m., that his brother, a scrap dealer, was missing.

According to the commissioner, while detectives were investigating the alleged disappearance, a video surfaced.

He said that the video.showed the purported victim being beaten with planks by unknown persons who threatened to kill him if a ransom of N1.5 million was not paid by his employer.

The police commissioner said the development initially appeared to be a genuine kidnapping case, prompting detectives to intensify efforts to rescue the victim and identify those behind the act.

Tijani disclosed that investigators later became suspicious after closely analysing the video and circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction.

The CP explained that detectives observed inconsistencies in the victim’s claims, particularly because there were no visible signs of physical assault or torture on him after he returned home.

“Upon careful analysis of the video and subsequent investigation, detectives discovered several inconsistencies.

“The suspect was subjected to further interrogation and eventually confessed that the kidnapping was staged, ” he said.

According to him, the alleged victim admitted conspiring with others now at large, to fake his kidnap.

Tijani further disclosed that the suspect confessed to diverting the sum of N490,000 previously given to him for business purposes.

He said the money was successfully recovered during investigations.

The commissioner also revealed that detectives visited the workshop where the fake kidnapping video was recorded as part of efforts to gather more evidence against the suspects.

According to him, efforts are ongoing to arrest  fleeing suspects linked to the offence. (NAN)

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