Two LAWMA staff arrested for faking kidnap

A 29-year-old employee of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and his colleague have been arrested by the police for allegedly faking his kidnap and collecting the sum of N150,000 as ransom.

The image maker of the Police Command in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the arrest on Friday in a statement.

Hundeyin said detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department of the command carried out the arrest after a painstaking investigation of the suspects.

According to him, the 29-year-old suspect, after faking his own kidnap travelled to Lugbe in Abuja where he made a video of himself in captivity.

Hundeyin said the suspect informed his 32-year-old co-worker of his plan and they demanded N5 million ransom but got N150,000 after extensive negotiation before they were arrested.

“Investigations revealed that the first suspect, who was arrested in Abuja conspired with the second suspect to self-stage his kidnap and made the video that was sent to the co-worker for ransom.

“The first suspect also confessed to haven shared the ransom equally with the second suspect and used his share in acquiring a generator and other items for himself.

“Suspects will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of investigations,” he said.

The image maker said the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Abiodun Alabi, commended the detectives for a job well done.

Hundeyin reassured Lagos residents that perpetrators of crimes would not go undetected and unpunished.