Lagos Police increase alarm over rise in faux kidnappings for ransom  

The Lagos State Police Command has issued a robust warning to residents over a disturbing rise in staged kidnappings geared toward extorting ransom from unsuspecting members of the family.

The alert was issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, throughout an interview with the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN).

In accordance with the police, a number of viral kidnapping movies and misery calls circulating on-line had been discovered to be scams orchestrated by the supposed victims themselves.

What they’re saying 

The Lagos Police Command says it’s intensifying monitoring efforts, notably throughout social media, to detect and stop the unfold of staged abduction schemes swiftly.

• “The command can also be carefully monitoring stories on social media and different platforms to promptly confirm and handle any incidents which will trigger public anxiousness,” Adebisi mentioned. 
• “One such case concerned a 26-year-old housewife whose supposed abduction set off alarm bells throughout borders,” she mentioned. 
• “It was that inconsistency that triggered deeper police scrutiny; a particular squad of the Lagos State Police Command was deployed, and what they uncovered was not a hostage state of affairs, however a fastidiously choreographed rip-off,” Adebisi added. 
• “Investigations confirmed that the scheme was motivated by monetary hardship and the husband’s failed makes an attempt to return to the USA,” she mentioned. 

Adebisi confirmed that Commissioner of Police, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has deployed tactical items and directed divisional officers to collaborate carefully with neighborhood leaders to enhance data stream.

Backstory 

Police investigations present that a number of alleged kidnapping circumstances turned out to be orchestrated makes an attempt by victims themselves to defraud family members.

• In a single case, a 26-year-old housewife faked her personal abduction, inflicting her husband in South Africa to panic and finally pay a ransom.
• The preliminary ransom demand was N10 million, later negotiated to N2.5 million earlier than the rip-off was uncovered.
• The lady reportedly partnered with an confederate in Osun State who offered a SIM card used to demand ransom by way of WhatsApp.
• Police mentioned she finally confessed, admitting that the iPhone she claimed was stolen in the course of the ordeal had already been offered.

Police authorities confirmed that this was not an remoted incident, with comparable patterns being noticed throughout Lagos.

Extra circumstances uncovered 

Additional investigations revealed extra incidents of faux abductions involving younger folks and {couples} in search of to extort cash from their households.

• 5 suspects aged between 15 and 20 had been arrested in reference to a staged kidnapping involving a 15-year-old boy.
• The boy, aided by 4 buddies, faked his abduction in In the past Palace, main his mom to pay N1.7 million in ransom.
• Detectives traced the transaction by means of a POS terminal, resulting in the suspects’ arrest.
• In one other incident, a pair staged the spouse’s kidnapping in a plot to extort N10 million, which was finally uncovered at a faculty within the Cappa space.

These circumstances had been initially reported as real lacking particular person incidents, fueling public panic earlier than police investigations revealed the reality.

Why this issues 

The surge in faux kidnappings presents a troubling improvement in Nigeria’s broader kidnapping disaster.

• Staged abductions drain useful police sources and delay response to real emergencies.
• Viral movies and social media posts heighten public concern and insecurity.
• Households, notably these with relations overseas, are more and more susceptible to emotional and monetary manipulation.

The involvement of the so-called victims not solely complicates investigations but additionally weakens public belief in authentic safety alerts.

What it is best to know 

The Lagos State Police Command has urged residents to confirm kidnapping claims earlier than transferring cash or spreading panic.

• Households are inspired to make use of personal verification codes and keep in frequent contact with family members.
• The general public is suggested to not act on misery messages with out correct affirmation.
• Submitting false kidnapping stories is a legal offence that pulls authorized penalties.
• Residents ought to report suspicious exercise by means of the command’s hotlines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, and 08039344870.

Adebisi emphasised that safety is a shared accountability and urged residents to assist legislation enforcement efforts to deal with each conventional and rising types of crime.