Metro

BREAKING: 20-year-old Student Fakes Kidnap, Demands Over $700,000 Ransom

Published

5 days ago

June 22, 2024

Editor

The Lagos State Police Command said it has uncovered what appears to be a staged kidnapping involving a 20-year-old student, Collins Ikwebe, and five of his schoolmates.

The case came to light on Saturday after a distressing social media post by a friend of one of the suspects went viral.

According to the post, the friend, identified only as 888 @FlackoT on X, claimed, “Guys, I’m locked up in Ikeja Police Station. I don’t have enough time and I don’t know what to do. So, this is my only alternative. So, y’all know what happened to me.

“Someone faked his kidnapping and requested for 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.”

The X user further expressed concern about potentially facing a lengthy legal process, stating, “His dad came to the station and requested his release but they insisted on taking the case to court which could take up to three years to resolve. Oher people that were in the apartment with him are locked up as well.”

Responding to these claims, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, provided police report and details of the case.

“Following a report from his family, our investigation established that 20-year-old Collins Oluchukwu Ikwebe faked his own kidnap,” Hundeyin confirmed.

The police spokesperson revealed a complex scheme involving multiple ransom demands. “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,” Hundeyin explained.

He added that over two weeks, various sums were demanded, ranging from $500,000 to as low as N30,000.

“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,” he wrote.

The breakthrough in the case came on Thursday, June 20, 2024, when “detectives of the Lagos State Police Command eventually busted a short-let four bedroom apartment in Lekki where Collins and five of his school mates (one male, four females) had been staying for the past 10 days,” Hundeyin stated.

While the investigation is ongoing, the police said they are working to determine the level of involvement of the other five individuals found in the apartment.

Hundeyin emphasised, “For now, none of the suspects has been exonerated.”

Metro

Nigerian Army Pulls Out 10 Officers In Bauchi

Published

1 hour ago

June 28, 2024

Editor

The Nigerian Army Armoured Corps in Bauchi state, on Thursday, pulled out 10 officers who have retired from the military.

Speaking during the pulling out ceremony, one of the retired senior officers, who spoke on behalf of others, Maj:-Gen. Nsor Ojiji, called on the Nigerian government to continue to sustain the Armour Corps.

According to him, the corps needed a lot of equipment in tanks and Armoured fighting vehicles as well as tank ammunition.

“It is this corps that would propel the rest of the army in battle so that the commanders could achieve their objectives. So, the government has to take care of them.

“I’ve been privileged to work with the best set of human beings and people who are very committed and moving with the tanks alone commands a lot of respect and I want to say that I was in the best corps of the Nigerian Army Forces,” he said.

He also called on the Army Communities to keep up the good work, take care of one another and solidly be together.

The retired officer further urged all the commanders to continue to take care of their men and their families as well.

“I want to thank the Chief of Army Staff for all the efforts he has been making and I also wish to thank the Commander, Armoured Corps and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces for all their untiring effort to advance the Nigerian Army,” he said

Also speaking, the Commander of the Corps, Maj:-Gen. Mohammed Ahmed said he was highly grateful, satisfied and honoured to have witnessed a day filled with mixed feelings and emotions of the pulling out of the retired Senior officers.

He said “we are happy that we did what we are supposed to do.

“There is no army in the world that has enough, and the Nigerian Army has developed its capacity to the level that you can see that most of our equipment is highly maintained”.

Other pulled out officers included; Maj:-Gen M.H Magaji, Maj:-Gen G.B Audu, Maj:-Gen. M Danmadami, Maj:-Gen J.G Mohammed and Maj:-Gen U.I Mohammed.

Others included; Brig:-Gen A. Israel, Brig:-Gen B.A Mohammed, Brig:-Gen D. Abdulsalam and Brig:-Gen S.P Akpan.

Metro

Fire Guts Karu Market In Abuja

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

Photo: File copy

Karu modern market in Abuja was on Thursday evening engulfed by fire.

The raging inferno, which cause could not be immediately ascertained, was said to have affected a section of the market.

As of 8pm on Thursday, firefighters were reportedly still battling to put out the inferno.

A shop owner, Hon. Jibreel Babangoshi, he was on the ground described the situation as bad.

He said; “The Karu market situation is bad.
Only one fire truck was on ground. They had no water when the fire started. When they got water, they couldn’t gain access as shops had been constructed on every available space.
They (firefighters) had to go through the back, from the village.

“Reenforcement came from Area 10, but access remains a challenge.

“Number of shops, worth of goods destroyed not yet known. Cause of fire not yet known.

“Fire started from Informal Sector section of the market”.

Metro

EFCC Arrests 117 for Internet Fraud In Lagos

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Editor

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested no fewer than 117 internet fraudsters in Lagos State.

The commission stated that the suspects were arrested in a sting operation at a Regional hotel in the Iyana Ishasi area of the state.

The spokesperson for the commission, Dele Oyewale disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Oyewale said the suspects were nabbed after intelligence revealed that they were allegedly involved in a computer-related fraud.

The statement read, “Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 117 suspected internet fraudsters in Lagos.

“The suspects were arrested at Regional Hotel, Iyana- Ishasi, Lagos in a sting operation, following verified intelligence about their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud. Items recovered from the suspects, at the point of arrest, include mobile phones, laptop computers and four cars.”

Oyewale said the suspects would be charged in court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The PUNCH reports that the Regional Hotel was one of the hotels where the EFCC operatives were accused of abusing a female hotel worker.

The EFCC chairman has ordered the arrest of the officers said to have perpetrated the offence as well as an investigation into the matter.