Police arrest man for threatening Ogun residents with kidnapping and murder

Gabriel was said to have been threatening everyone in Ogun State with abduction and intent to murder in his bid to extort money from them.

The suspect was apprehended on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, while attempting to withdraw money sent to him by one of the victims at a Point-of-Sale (PoS) operator’s shop in the community.

According to a police officer who was privy to the incident, a resident named Helen Orube reported to the Ogbere Police Division that she had received a call from an unknown person named Promise.

The caller informed Orube that someone had paid him to abduct and kill her unless she transferred a specified amount of money to a particular account number.

The officer said, "She received a call from a man who identified himself as Promise on July 13, 2024. The suspect told her on the phone that he had been paid to abduct and kill her. Orube became frightened after receiving the call. While pleading with the suspect, Promise told her that the only way she could escape being kidnapped and killed was if she paid more than what the person who sent him was paying. She sent the money to the account number he provided."

Terrified by the phone call, Orube immediately approached the Ogbere Police Division, where officers advised her to pretend to comply with the suspect’s demands.

Gabriel was apprehended while attempting to withdraw the money he had demanded from the victim.

Reacting to the arrest, the command spokesperson, Odutola Omolola stated that detectives had positioned themselves at strategic locations where the suspect was expected to collect the money. “The victim sent the money to a PoS account. The police division had earlier sent officers to key places in the area, waiting for the suspect to arrive. He was immediately arrested by the men of the division."

Upon interrogation, Gabriel claimed he was sent by another suspect named Jide to withdraw the money.

Jide fled immediately after realising that Gabriel had been arrested. The police are currently working to apprehend him.

After identifying the arrested suspect, other residents reported similar complaints, stating that Gabriel had received large sums of money by claiming he wanted to protect them from kidnappers.

The suspect was expected to be taken to the state criminal investigation department for further investigation.