Skip to main content

Police Uncover Staged Kidnapping Plot in Ondo

A purported kidnapping in Ondo State was revealed to be an elaborate hoax, police report, after a family member was arrested for orchestrating his own abduction to extort ransom money from relatives.

Ondo State Police Command has detailed the unraveling of an audacious staged kidnapping, where the alleged victim was the mastermind behind a plot to defraud his own family.

According to police spokesperson DSP Olushola Ayanlade, the scheme began to collapse during a routine security patrol in the Kashimola/Agunla Forest area of Akure North. A joint team of police officers, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) members, hunters, and vigilantes intercepted two men on a motorcycle.

A search of the men, identified as John Peter and James Peter, yielded N800,000 in cash, a packet of cigarettes, and a bottle of schnapps—an unusual combination that prompted immediate interrogation. The pair confessed the money was a ransom intended for kidnappers holding their younger brother, Mathew Ekele.

Acting on this information, operatives set a trap. They arranged a handoff for the ransom and arrested the individual who arrived to collect it. This arrest, however, led to a startling discovery: the supposed kidnapper was working for the "victim" himself.

"The entire incident was a staged kidnapping engineered by the supposed victim," stated DSP Ayanlade. Further investigation led police to a nearby bush along Ogbese Road, where Mathew Ekele was arrested. He had been lying in wait to retrieve the ransom money after pretending to be abducted. His motorcycle was recovered at the scene.

The police command praised the collaborative work of the security patrol and highlighted the case as an example of proactive, intelligence-led policing. They warned the public to remain vigilant and report all kidnapping incidents directly to authorities to avoid falling prey to similar fraudulent schemes designed to swindle families.

This incident follows a recent pattern of criminal innovation in the state, coming just days after police reported the rescue of a kidnapped couple in the Itaogbolu community.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PERSONALITY: Profile of a Performer

  His smile is calm, his overall demeanor unassuming. But make no mistake; Akinwunmi Ambode is no push over. He is a man of high intellectual character. Starting his career at a very young age, Ambode rose to the very pinnacle of the Civil Service, by dint of hard work, focus and altruism. Above all, he always has his head clear, his goals and perspectives well conceived from the start. He doesn’t mince words. He neither gives vain flattery nor expects to receive it, as those who have come to know him will attest to. Read more, after the cut...
1 comment
Read more

Sheikh Gumi Alleges Foreign Powers are Financing Terrorists in Nigeria

Prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has accused unnamed foreign nations of supporting terrorist groups in Nigeria, citing a sudden reversal of security gains in recent months as evidence of external interference. In a significant and provocative claim, Nigerian Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has alleged that international actors are providing backing to terrorists operating within the country. During an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Sheikh Gumi pointed to deteriorating security in areas that had shown marked improvement. He specifically highlighted the Abuja-Kaduna highway, which had become safer for travelers, and the farmlands around Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, where farmers had cautiously returned to their fields after years of abandonment. "The situation on the ground contradicts earlier signs of improvement," Gumi stated, arguing that the recent surge in attacks suggests renewed support for armed groups. "This sudden rever...
Post a Comment
Read more

DSS Arrests Medical Doctor Accused of Supplying Drugs to Kwara Kidnapping Syndicate

Intelligence-led operation in Jebba uncovers healthcare professional allegedly aiding criminal networks. In a significant breakthrough, Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has apprehended a licensed medical doctor for his alleged role in supporting kidnapping gangs terrorizing parts of Kwara State. The arrest followed a targeted interception in the Jebba area, based on precise intelligence regarding the movement of supplies to criminal elements. According to security officials, the doctor was caught transporting medical provisions from Sokoto State intended for kidnappers operating within Kwara. This development suggests that recent security operations have been effective, leaving some gang members wounded and in urgent need of care. “These criminal networks are becoming increasingly desperate for medical assistance following sustained engagements with security forces,” a DSS official stated. The situation has prompted a security advisory for health fac...
Post a Comment
Read more