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SPOTLIGHTS
- The suspect allegedly demanded over $700,000 in ransom from his father
- He was arrested alongside five schoolmates who were sharing an apartment with him
- The police are investigating the extent of the other suspects’ involvement
By John Ogunsemore
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 20-year-old Collins Oluchukwu Ikwebe for allegedly faking his own kidnap and demanding over $700,000 in ransom from his father.
The suspect was arrested alongside five of his schoolmates.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Lagos, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Saturday on X (formerly Twitter).
A friend of one of the suspects had taken to social media to allege wrongful detention, which drew attention to the case.
Read also: Police arrest housewife for faking own kidnap, dismissed officer, others in Ekiti
The friend, whose X handle is @FlackoT, said: “Guys, I’m locked up in Ikeja Police Station. I don’t have enough time and I don’t know what to do. So, this is my only alternative. So, y’all know what happened to me.
“Someone faked his kidnapping and requested for ransom from his dad. His dad reported the case to SARS. They tracked his phone. I genuinely knew nothing about it until I reached the station.”
He added: “His dad came to the station and requested his release, but they (police) insisted on (charging) the case to court, which could take up to three years to resolve. Other people that were in the apartment with him are locked up as well.”
Reacting to the posts, Hundeyin said: “Following a report from his family, our investigation established that 20-year-old Collins Oluchukwu Ikwebe faked his own kidnap.”
The police spokesman explained that Collins’s dad received several calls from his son’s number but with different voices giving instructions on the amount of money to be paid and the methods of payment.
Hundeyin said that at different times spanning two weeks, different sums—$500,000; $200,000; ₦2,000,000; ₦50,000; and ₦30,000—were requested from Collins’s dad.
“On Thursday, June 20, 2024, detectives from the Lagos State Police Command eventually busted a short-let four-bedroom apartment in Lekki where Collins and five of his schoolmates (one male, four females) had been staying for the past ten days,” he said.
“The investigation is being concluded to establish the extent of culpability of the other five occupants of the apartment.
“For now, none of the suspects has been exonerated,” Hundeyin stated.
