Lagos police: 20-year-old faked own kidnap, demanded over $700k ransom from dad

The Lagos police command says it has arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly faking his kidnap.

Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, said this on Saturday while reacting to a post by an X user with the handle @FlackoT.

The X user wrote that he was detained by the Ikeja police division over the kidnapping of someone he knew nothing about.

“Guys I’m locked up in Ikeja police station. I don’t have enough time and don’t know what to do so this is my only alternative so y’all know what happened to me,” the post reads.

“Someone faked his kidnapping and requested 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. His dad came to the station and requested his release but they insisted on trying 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 post, Hundeyin explained why the youths were detained.

“Following a report from his family, our investigation established that 20-year-old Collins Oluchukwu Ikwebe faked his own kidnap. His dad received several calls from Collins’ number but with different voices giving instructions on what amount of money to be paid and methods of payment,” the police spokesperson wrote.

“At different times spanning two weeks, different sums — $500,000; $200,000; N2,000,000; N50,000 and N30,000 — were requested from Collins’ dad.

“On Thursday, June 20, 2024, detectives of 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.

“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.”