What began as a distressing video of a schoolboy begging for mercy has turned out to be a carefully planned scam, as the Lagos State Police Command arrested five suspects over a stage-managed kidnapping plot.
The command said the suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad following intelligence-driven investigations into the viral footage, which had triggered fear and panic among members of the public.
In a statement issued on Friday in Lagos, the command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Abimbola Adebisi, said the suspects, aged between 15 and 20, were arrested on Thursday at about 1:00 p.m. in the Ago Palace area of the state.
She explained that the matter was initially reported as a missing person case at the Ago Palace Police Division on November 26.
Subsequent investigations later established that the alleged abduction was deliberately orchestrated by the 15-year-old boy who appeared in the video, working together with four of his friends.
Police investigations showed that the suspects used the room of one of their associates, a 19-year-old, to stage the fake kidnapping.
The group allegedly recorded a distress video showing the schoolboy pleading for help in order to create the impression that he was being held by kidnappers.
Further findings indicated that the scheme was designed to extort money from the boy’s mother, who had recently received N4 million from a contribution.
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A ransom of N1.7 million was eventually paid to secure the boy’s supposed release.
The police said the ransom was transferred into the bank account of one of the suspects and later shared among the group.
Operatives were able to trace the Point-of-Sale terminal used for the transaction, which led to the arrest of all those involved.
Adebisi said investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be charged before a court of competent jurisdiction for prosecution.
She added that the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, warned criminal elements to desist from all forms of crime, assuring residents that the command would continue to intensify efforts to protect lives and property across Lagos State.
The police spokesperson reassured residents that the incident was not a genuine case of kidnapping and urged the public to remain calm and continue their lawful activities.
She also encouraged residents to promptly report suspicious activities to the police through the command’s emergency numbers: 0706 101 9374, 0806 515 4338, 0806 329 9264, and 0803 934 4870.
NAN
