The Enugu State Police Command has detained 21-year-old Chidera Ako, along with his accomplices, for allegedly feigning his kidnap and demanding N2 million ransom from his parents.

The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Ndukwe noted that operatives attached to the Nsukka sector of the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad caught four suspects on May 24, at about 1:00 p.m., for conspiracy, staged kidnap, and defrauding the parents of a staged kidnap victim of ₦2 million.

He gave the names of the suspects as Chidera Ako, 21, who orchestrated his alleged kidnap and Chidalu Okechukwu, 19.

Others were Ifeanyi Ugwu, 20, and Ossai Chigozie, 35, recently released from the Nigerian Correctional Service custodial centre.

He added that a locally-made single-barrel gun and two live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

The statement read in part: “Ako was reported missing on May 4. Subsequently, on May 21, his accomplices used his phone to demand a ₦10 million ransom from his parents, sending a video of him bound, appearing beaten, with the recovered gun pointed at him.

“The parents pleaded for his release and paid ₦1.5 million into a provided account on May 22, but the suspects failed to release him.

“After an additional ₦500,000 payment, the police operatives swiftly arrested Ako and his accomplices at a POS centre during their attempt to withdraw the money.”

Mr Ndukwe added that the suspects had confessed to the crime and would be arraigned upon completion of the ongoing investigations.

He noted that the Commissioner of Police (CP), Mamman Giwa, who described the criminal act as unfortunate, had ordered further detention of anyone linked to the crime.

Mr Ndukwe further stated that the CP had charged the public to report suspected kidnap cases immediately and avoid hasty ransom payment, emphasising that “some cases, like this one, may be staged.”

(NAN)