Man ‘kidnaps’ himself to demand ransom from brothers
A casket dealer in Nigeria has been nabbed after he faked his own abduction in an attempt to dupe his well-to-do younger siblings into parting with N2 million to finance his business.
Operatives of Enugu State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit fished out Samuel Ani from his supposed den – bushes behind his own coffin shop – at Garki, Awkunanaw area of Enugu where he had been hiding for six days under the guise of being abducted.
Vanguard Nigeria reports that Ani and his fiancé, Oluchi Faith Ogbu were nabbed at the weekend after they were baited with an initial N100,000 being part payment of the ransom.
Upon his arrest, Ani is reported to have said that he needed the money to sort out his business but was convinced his plot was the only way to glean some cash off his siblings.
The report quotes Enugu state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the arrest, as saying that the suspect “never knew that his sin shall find him.”
“Samuel Ani hid himself in a bush behind his shop for six days from where he was making phone calls to his two younger brothers in a very convincing tone that he had been abducted and that N2 million was required to get him out of the kidnappers’ den or else he would be killed.
“Following this, the case was reported to the state police command who mobilised its anti-kidnapping unit to rescue the victim. When Samuel intensified his call that the purported kidnappers were on the verge of killing him if his people could not bring the ransom, he later reduced the ransom to N1.2 million.
“Some money was then deposited into the account number provided by the purported kidnappers and a certain girl who went to cash the initial N100,000 sent through one of the new generation banks around Agbani Road on August 29, 2013 was arrested by the operatives.
“The girl was identified as one Oluchi Faith Ogbu from Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state and a fiancée to Samuel Ani.”
Credit: Vanguard Nigeria
