Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State, has approved the immediate suspension of Yusuf Ogundare, a chief and the Baale of Shangisha, Magodo, Lagos, for faking his kidnap on July 5.

In a memo with reference number OLGAS.83/S./Vol.1 dated July 13, 2017, addressed to the Sole Administrator of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA and signed by Teslim Folami, Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Ambode directed Ogundare to stop parading himself henceforth as the Baale of the community till further notice.

“I am directed to convey the approval of His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the suspension of Chief Yusuf Ogundare, Baale of Shangisha, with immediate effect in accordance with Section 38 subsection 1 of the Obas and Chiefs Laws of Lagos State which states that ‘the Governor may suspend or depose any Oba or chief whether appointed or after commencement of this law, if he is satisfied that such suspension of disposition is required according to customary law or is necessary in the interest of peace and good government,'” Folami said.

“You are to communicate the decision to the chieftain to stop parading himself as Baale of Shangisha with immediate effect.”

Ogundare’s suspension was approved by the Governor moments after the Lagos State Police Command paraded him alongside his younger brother, Mohammed Adams, for conspiring to fake the alleged kidnap.

On the fateful day, Adams had reported the alleged kidnap incident to the police.

Speaking while parading the two suspects, Fatai Owoseni, Commissioner of Police, said the Command received the report of Ogundare’s alleged kidnap on July 5, and immediately swung into action in collaboration with other security agencies, especially the Department of State Service (DSS).

Owoseni said luck however ran out on Ogundare when he was apprehended by men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Alausa area of the State on July 11 after he was dropped in a suspicious manner by a car which sped off immediately.

“On July 11 at about 10pm, a team of RRS patrol officers working around Alausa had sighted a vehicle drop a male adult in a suspicious manner close by Shoprite along the Secretariat road. The speed with which that car drove off attracted them to that spot and fortunately before they got to the spot, the car had taken off and a quick enquiry revealed that it was the Baale that was allegedly kidnapped,” Owoseni said.

“Immediately after, while Ogundare was being debriefed, he sold a dummy that the kidnappers dropped him off but unknowingly to him, it had been found out that on the 5th of July, the day he was allegedly kidnapped in Lagos, investigation had revealed that he was driving around in Ibadan around Ashi; he went to Ilorin, he went to Iwo, he was just on a frolic.

“And unknowingly to him as well that because of information that had gotten to security services that his younger brother and his wife were being questioned and were actually in custody because of some discrepancies that were noticed in the interaction they had with security agencies, and in furtherance of the synergy existing between the Police and DSS, we jointly compared notes and our findings were such that the act of the chief was despicable and amounted to crying wolf where there is none.”

Owoseni added that after the suspects were confronted with the indisputable facts, they had no choice than to confess faking the kidnap.