March 16, 2024
The command also said that its operatives rescued four kidnap victims in the last one month in the state while 52 suspects were arrested for various crimes.
The Nigeria Police Force, Akwa Ibom State Command, has said that its operatives have arrested a woman who faked her own abduction.
The command also said that its operatives rescued four kidnap victims in the last one month in the state while 52 suspects were arrested for various crimes.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Waheed Ayilara, who made this known to journalists in Uyo, the state capital on Friday said that some of the crimes committed by some of the arrested suspects included murder, kidnap, armed robbery, child trafficking, cultism and fraud.
Ayilara said that one of the kidnap “victims”, a female from Nung Oku village in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom actually arranged her own kidnap.
According to the police commissioner, the woman who faked her kidnap thereafter demanded N4million ransom before she was arrested by the police.
The commissioner said that “A report was received on Monday from one Enobong Sampson that her sister had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding N4million as ransom.
“As a result, operatives of Anti-kidnapping Squad of the Command embarked on an intense and intelligence-driven operation to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victim.
“On Tuesday, however, the purported victim and her boyfriend were arrested at a hideout at Mbierebe Obio, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.
“She confessed to have conspired with her boyfriend and three others to proclaim her kidnap to raise money from her aunty based outside the country.”
Ayilara further told journalists that on Wednesday, operatives of the state command arrested a man at Uruting village in Okobo Local Government Area of the state for killing his 75-year-old father with a machete.
He said that the suspect claimed that his deceased father had sold all the parcels of land he had, including the one that he gave to him to build his house as the reason for his action.
Ayilara added that on March 8, police operatives arrested one man at Ayam village in Etinan Local Government Area of the state for being involved in the production of adulterated fruits drinks and fake products.
Similarly, on March 8, he said that police operatives rescued and arrested a man who used Point of Sale (POS) machines to defraud innocent citizens and was to be set ablaze but for the arrival of police operatives.
According to Ayilara, most of the man’s victims had identified him and N350,000 cash was recovered from him at the time of arrest.
He therefore said that all the suspects would be arraigned as soon as investigations were concluded.