The police command in Ondo has arrested a man, Bello Azeez, for faking his own kidnapping to defraud his family and friends.

Mr Azeez, 29, was nabbed on Saturday after police investigations uncovered that he masterminded his own abduction when his father declined his request for a loan of ₦500,000 to settle a debt

A native of Ipele in Owo LGA, the suspect allegedly hatched the plan on Monday, after lying to relatives that he was travelling to Ibadan.

According to the police command, Mr Azeez began to make distressed calls, claiming that he had been abducted and pleading for ransom from his parents to secure his release.

Disturbed by the development, his parents and close friends mobilised funds and opened a GoFundMe account, successfully raising N500,000.

The ‘ransom’ was subsequently transferred into Mr Azeez’s personal bank account on his instructions.

But suspicion grew when relatives noticed that the supposed kidnappers insisted the ransom be paid directly into the victim’s account, an unusual demand in abduction cases.

The family quickly alerted the police.

Police operatives were said to have tracked the phone number used during the ransom negotiations and discovered that Mr Azeez never left Owo town throughout the period of his alleged abduction.

The suspect was promptly arrested and, during interrogation, confessed to the crime.

Confirming the development in a statement, Ayanlade Olayinka, a spokesman for the command, said Mr Azeez will be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.

“This case once again underscores the dangers of greed, deceit, and the lure of quick wealth, which often push individuals into acts capable of ruining their future,” Mr Ayanlade said.