Woman connives with lover to stage own kidnap, demands N10m ransom from employer

Operatives of Anti-Kidnapping Unit of Lagos Police Command, on Thursday, January 16, 2020, arrested one Ataghar Namdo, for allegedly conniving with her lover, Emmanuel Idu, and a suspected military officer identified as David Okpe, in order to stage her kidnap.

Punch reports that Namdo, with the help of her accomplices, took herself into a bush in Sangotedo, Ajah area of Lagos, where footage of her being held in a kidnappers' den was recorded.

In a statement made available to the public on Sunday, January 19, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana stated that Namdo was shown in a released footage, being blindfolded as the suspected kidnappers whisked her away in a truck.

Lagos PPRO, DSP Bala Elkana says a well-coordinated operation was put in place, which led to the successful rescue of the self-arranged victim of the abduction and the arrest of one of the two suspects, David Okpe. [Daily Post] Pulse Nigeria

According to Elkana, the suspects demanded a N10 million ransom from Namdo's employer, and threatened to kill the supposed victim if the ransom was not paid.

Following the N10 million ransom demand, the employer was said to have reported the matter to the police.

Elkana explained that after the matter was reported, the police commenced investigation which led to Namdo’s rescue and the arrest of one of the accomplices, Okpe, who was the one that recorded the footage.

The PPRO added that both Namdo and Okpe who were arrested, had confessed to the crime.

The suspects, according to Elkana, confessed that they committed the crime in a bid to extort money from Namdo's employer, which they intended to share among themselves.

Elkana said, “On Thursday, January 16, 2020, around 10pm, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Lagos State Police Command, arrested one Ataghar Namdo, 26, for faking her own kidnap. On Thursday 9, 2020, around 6.30pm, the suspect conspired with her boyfriend, Emmanuel Idu, and Okpe David, to produce a short video of herself blindfolded and driven into a bush in a truck.

“In the second video, the woman, a mother of one, was seen in a bush around the Sangotedo area of Ajah, being threatened by a man wearing a mask and holding a jack knife. The police later identified the masked man as Emmanuel Idu, who is the woman’s boyfriend.

“The abductors were demanding N10m as ransom in the video. The two videos were sent to the employer of the lady with a threat to kill her and to also go after the family of the employer if the ransom was not paid.

“Frightened by the threat contained in the videos and the follow-up calls, the said employer, who is into the vehicle fleet business, reported the case to the police. On the receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, ordered the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to carry out an in-depth investigation into the case.

“The videos were thoroughly analysed alongside other vital leads. A well-coordinated operation was put in place, which led to the successful rescue of the self-arranged victim of the abduction and the arrest of one of the two suspects, David Okpe.”

Elkana said a manhunt had been launched for Namdo’s lover, Idu, who escaped during the rescue operation, adding that both the supposed victim and Okpe would be charged.