Men Arrested In Lagos For Staging Fake Kidnap

The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended Ayodele Balogun, a 21-year-old 200-level student of Lagos State University of Education, Ijaninkin, and his friend, Dennis Okunomo, also 21, a student of the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), for orchestrating a fake abduction in Lagos.

According to SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s spokesperson, Okunomo devised the kidnapping scheme to raise funds for Balogun, who hails from an economically disadvantaged family….READ ALSOExclusive Video: Police Bust Illegal Drink Manufacturing Operation In Lagos, Arrest Four Suspects

Balogun disappeared from home on February 2, sending a message from his phone to his father claiming he had been abducted and that his captors were demanding a $20,000 ransom, payable in Bitcoin.

Unable to secure the ransom, Balogun and Okunomo staged a photo of Balogun lying naked on the ground in a bush, sending it to his father as a threat. When the money did not materialize, Okunomo staged his own disappearance, hoping his father would pay and then pass the money to Balogun.

The situation escalated as both families were led to believe that the same kidnapper had taken both young men. Threats and ransom demands followed, with the ransom increasing to $100,000.

After days hiding in the bush, the duo returned to Okunomo’s father’s hotel, claiming to have escaped from the kidnappers. However, they were apprehended by the police on March 16.

Hundeyin stated that the men confessed to fabricating the abduction to extort money from their families. They will face charges in court once the investigation concludes.