ONDO POLICE FOIL STAGED KIDNAP PLOT MASTERMINED BY ‘VICTIM’ TO EXTORT FAMILY
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Ondo State Police Command has uncovered and thwarted a staged kidnapping allegedly masterminded by a 28-year-old man seeking to extort money from his own family.
Police spokesperson DSP Olushola Ayanlade disclosed the development on Tuesday in Akure, describing the operation as a testament to the command’s proactive crime-fighting strategy.
According to Ayanlade, operatives from the Ogbese Division, supported by non-state security groups including OPC members, hunters, and vigilantes, were on a routine bush-combing patrol at Kashimola/Agunla Forest in Akure North LGA when they intercepted two men John Peter, 30, and James Peter on a motorcycle.
A search of their bags yielded N800,000 cash, a pack of cigarettes, and a bottle of Schnapps, raising suspicion. Upon interrogation, the duo claimed the money was meant as ransom for the “kidnappers” of their younger brother, Mathew Ekele.
Police operatives then set a controlled trap, arresting a man who arrived to collect the supposed ransom. However, further investigation revealed a shocking twist: the “victim,” Mathew Ekele, had faked his own abduction and was hiding in a nearby bush awaiting the ransom delivery.
Ekele was subsequently arrested, and his motorcycle recovered as evidence.
Ayanlade urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, warning against the growing trend of staged kidnappings aimed at defrauding family members.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating all forms of criminality across the state.
The arrest follows a separate November 26 operation in which Ondo police apprehended a suspected kidnapper and rescued a couple in the Itaogbolu community of Akure North.
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