17-year-old boy fakes own kidnap, lands in police net

A 17-year-old boy, whose identity could not be disclosed on ethical grounds, has been arrested for faking his kidnap.

Following his arrest, the teenager was paraded alongside 11 other suspects in the Agbor area of Delta State.

Parading the suspects at the police headquarters in Asaba, Delta State capital, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi stated that the teenager had already squandered the ransom paid before being arrested.

He said, “On March 20, 2024, the DPO of Agbor division received a complaint about the suspected kidnap of a 17-year-old boy (name withheld) in Okhumera quarter, Agbor-Obi.

“The suspect sent a voice note to his sister stating that he had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding ₦1m.

“The DPO swung into action, acting on technically generated intelligence, and arrested three suspects.

“Investigations revealed that the 17-year-old connived with his friends and faked his own kidnap.

“Before they were arrested, they had already collected a ransom of ₦700,000 and had squandered the money. Investigations are ongoing.”

The police commissioner, who also lamented the prevalence of hard drugs on the streets, said the command is currently working in synergy with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to address the menace in society.

He stated that the suspect is in custody while investigations are ongoing, lamenting the effects of drugs on youths, which he said increases the rate of crime.

While appealing to members of the public, particularly Deltans, to cooperate with the police and other security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality by providing credible information, Olufemi said the command had achieved a lot within the period under review.