The recent arrest of a couple in Lagos has revealed an alarming scheme: faking their own kidnapping in a bid to extract a N5 million ransom from their relatives. The spokesperson of the Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, revealed that the suspects had developed a careful plan to extort money from their families.
The case began with the arrest of Albarka Sukuya, a resident of Plateau State, who had already staged his own kidnapping on several occasions, taking advantage of the gullibility of community members who paid ransoms for his release. In another case, Nnamdi Agu also committed false kidnapping in Abuja, with the aim of extracting money from a member of his family living in the River Park Estate area.
Authorities responded quickly, thwarting these individuals’ attempts to make easy money by exploiting fears of kidnapping. The two aforementioned cases were resolved with the arrest of the suspects and their prosecution.
The Lagos couple, Doubara David Yabrifa, a 53-year-old technician, and his wife Regina Yabrifa, a 48-year-old masseuse and bone adjustment specialist, confessed to staging their own kidnapping in order to raise the funds necessary for the purchase of a property in Badagry, a suburb of Lagos. The husband justified his action by citing financial difficulties and a lack of support from his family.
These cases raise questions about the motivations of these individuals who seek to get rich quickly by exploiting vulnerability and fear of kidnapping. It is important to emphasize that these criminal acts only aggravate the trauma and real consequences that victims of kidnapping suffer.
It is essential for law enforcement to continue to be vigilant and take rigorous measures to dismantle these criminal networks. It is also essential to raise awareness of the dangers of these scams and to remind people that simulating a kidnapping is a serious crime.
It is unfortunate to see that some individuals are tempted by illegal means to achieve their financial goals. It is essential to encourage education and the creation of economic opportunities to reduce the incentives to commit such acts.
In conclusion, these recent cases of simulated kidnappings highlight the need to strengthen efforts to prevent and suppress these crimes. It is important to remind everyone that crime does not pay and that criminal consequences are inevitable for those who engage in such practices.