A 21 years-old woman, Ruth Livinus who reportedly planned her own kidnap to defraud her mother said she committed the illicit act so as to start her own business.
Livinus who said she was forced into said she heeded to the wrong counsel of her boyfriend who suggested they defraud her mother to raise money for her business as she was tired of doing domestic jobs.
The suspect made this confession while being paraded on Thursday by Operatives of the Zone 2, Command Onikan, Lagos.
It was learnt that the suspect connive with her boyfriend and his brother i plan the kidnap with the intent to defraud her mother.
Parading the suspects before journalists at the Zone Command by the Zonal Spokesperson, SP Umma Ayuba said a case of Kidnapping was reported to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Headquarters by one Jona Jumai that sometimes in the month of May, 2024 her sister, Ruth Livinus who works as a domestic staff in Ajah Area of Lagos went missing.
Ayuba said few days later the complaints family members were contacted via a strange telephone number that Ruth had been kidnapped and in custody of the kidnappers who demanded Five Million Naira Ransom be paid into a designated account.
The Spokespers said the Suspects were trailed and arrested in their hideout in Ikorodu Area of Lagos by Operatives of the Zonal Anti-Piracy Unit led by SP Mariam Ogunmolasuyi.
During investigation, it was revealed that the purported kidnap-victim Ruth, her boyfriend Isaac Gabriel and one Jeremiah Boniface (her cousin) prearranged the kidnap to extort monies from her employer and family members in other to establish and have own business.
Speaking on the sideline of the parade the suspect said when she conceived the idea of quitting her domestic job and told his cousin and boyfriend about quitting her job.
According to her; “After deliberations on how to raise money for the business. my cousin said they will lie to my mom that I am critically sick, but my boyfriend said that wouldn’t work instead they will call my mom that I have been kidnapped.
“It was Gabriel who eventually brought the idea of the kidnapping, I knew him through my cousin and we became lovers.
Initially, I didn’t want to do it, but I was force by Gabriel because of his own selfish interest. It was my sister who sent the phone number they used to call to ask for ransom to the police who later track and arrested Gabriel while my cousin and I were later arrested and brought to zone 2. I regret my actions.”
She added that before they were arrested Gabriel and his cousin sent her pictures where her hands and legs were tied and dumped in a bush close to our house.
“I want to appeal to my mom to withdraw the case, because I was forced into it. I know my mom didn’t have the financial strength to raise five million naira. I am the first child. I want her to forgive me.
“We have only collected N50,000 from my sister before we were arrested. I just got to Lagos six months ago to work because of the bandits crisis in Kaduna State.”
Gabriel on his own said it is true that Ruth is his girlfriend, and he encouraged her to do it.
When she told me about her plan of quitting her job, she told me she needed money to start a business of her own.
“I then suggested kidnapping and demand for five million naira ransom from my mother that was how we tied her hands and legs and sent the pictures to her mother to scare her so as to get the ransom. Ruth also told me her mother can afford the ransom if she’s kidnap.
“I am from Benue State. Ruth told me that part of the money she’s receiving from her domestic work goes to her mother. That was why she said her mother will be able to afford the ransom. I regretted my action, because I don’t know how my mother will feel seeing me on the Television.”
In a similar vein, a 33 years-old man, Chisom Ndukwu was also arrested for allegedly producing fake cough syrup.
The Police Spokesperson said a petition was filed by one Walter Anyaoha, who is the Managing Director of Wihyaland Pharmaceutical Limited in which he alleged that his trainee one Chisom Ndukwu who has been living with him suddenly left the house to an unknown place, and when he checked his shop he realized that four Cartons of JVI drug valued Nine Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira were also missing in the shop.
She said during investigation into the allegation by CSP Omotayo Adegbite O/C Zonal Anti-Crime Unit led to the arrest of the suspect in company of his accomplice one Mark Chukwuemeka Ambush who is into production of Adulterated Cough Syrups. Upon search conducted in the houses and premises of the suspects, Bags containing packs with inscription of DSP Codeine Cough Syrup and empty bottles and covers of cough syrups drugs were recovered from him.
Suspects admitted to the crime with one Kosi who is currently at large. While
investigation was ongoing and efforts are being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects.
