THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with a staged kidnapping designed to extort ₦5 million from an elderly man, allegedly orchestrated by his two daughters.
The Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Tuesday, August 5, said on Wednesday, July 30, at about 11:30 am, one Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, reported to the Jikwoyi Police Division that his 16-year-old daughter, Lead Way Innocent, left home on July 18, to sit for an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, Abuja, and had not returned.
The police said Innocent subsequently received a phone call from an unknown person demanding a ransom for his daughter’s release.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jikwoyi Division immediately launched a discreet investigation.
“Through coordinated intelligence gathering and digital tracking, the phone number used to contact the complainant was traced to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II.
“Operatives proceeded to the location, where they found Miss Lead Way Innocent in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. Both individuals were seen eating and conversing freely, indicating no signs of distress,” the command stated.
According to the police, subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Joy Innocent (the elder sister of the alleged victim) and her boyfriend, Mayowa Adedeji.
The command said findings revealed that Joy conspired with her boyfriend, who is legally married to Tina Mayowa, to stage the kidnapping of her younger sister, Lead Way, in a calculated attempt to defraud their father of ₦5 million.
The police said investigations revealed that Lead Way was not only aware of the plan but actively participated in it, willingly staying with the suspects during the alleged abduction period. Meanwhile, Joy stayed home, pretending to be unaware of the scheme, and watched as her parents suffered emotional distress while trying to raise ransom money.
“All four suspects are currently in police custody and have voluntarily confessed to the crime. They will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation,” the police stated.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Commissioner, Ajao Adewale, condemned the act.
He urged parents and guardians to pay close attention to their children’s emotional well-being and behavioural patterns, and to encourage regular, honest communication at home.
Adewale warns that any attempt to exploit familial ties for criminal purposes would not be tolerated and would be met with the full weight of the law.
In another development, the FCT Police Command on Friday arrested a school security guard, David Moses, for masterminding the murder of a 55-year-old caregiver, Chinyere Anaene, and a 14-month-old toddler, Nanenter Asher Yese, at a private school in Dawaki, Abuja.
The victims went missing on July 23, and their families received ransom demands, but investigations showed that Moses and his accomplice, Sunday Irimiya (still at large), had killed the victims and dumped their bodies in a canal.
Moses was arrested after being stabbed by Irimiya over a ransom-sharing dispute. The police also arrested the school’s principal, two other security guards, and the chief security officer of the private security firm.
The police said it had intensified efforts to apprehend Irimiya and called for improved vetting of security personnel in schools.
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