Lagos police arrest five suspects over staged kidnapping extortion
Police in Lagos State have arrested five suspects linked to a staged and false kidnapping plot that circulated widely on social media and caused public alarm across the city. The Lagos State Police Command said the arrests followed a thorough investigation by its Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad into a viral video showing a young boy apparently pleading for his life inside what looked like a kidnappers’ hideout. Preliminary findings revealed that the incident was not a genuine abduction but was orchestrated by the supposed victim, a schoolboy, working with four associates to deceive his family and extort money. Police discovered that the plot began when the boy’s mother received a large cash sum, and the group took advantage of this by recording a distress video and circulating it to create fear and panic in hopes of forcing a ransom payment. Investigators traced a ransom transfer of about one point seven million naira through a Point-of-Sale terminal to one of the suspects’ accounts, which ultimately led them to all five individuals now in custody as the probe continues. The police assured residents that the incident was a criminal offence and not a real kidnapping, warning criminals to desist and urging the public to remain calm and report any suspicious activity promptly to law enforcement. The Commissioner of Police reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and said the suspects will be charged before a competent court once investigations are completed.
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