The Lagos State Police Command has exposed what appears to be a staged kidnapping involving 20-year-old student Collins Ikwebe and five of his schoolmates.
The case came to light after a distressing social media post by a friend of one of the suspects went viral on Saturday.
The social media user, identified as 888 @FlackoT on X, posted, “Guys, I’m locked up in Ikeja Police Station. I don’t have enough time and I don’t know what to do. So, this is my only alternative.
So, y’all know what happened to me. Someone faked his kidnapping and requested for ransom from his dad. his dad reported the case to SARS. They tracked his phone. I genuinely knew nothing about it until I reached the station.”
The user further expressed concerns about a lengthy legal process, stating, “His dad came to the station and requested his release, but they insisted on taking the case to court which could take up to three years to resolve. Other people that were in the apartment with him are locked up as well.”
Responding to these claims, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, provided details of the case. “Following a report from his family, our investigation established that 20-year-old Collins Oluchukwu Ikwebe faked his own kidnap,” Hundeyin confirmed.
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The police revealed a complex scheme involving multiple ransom demands. “His dad received several calls from Collins’ number but with different voices giving instructions on what amount of money to be paid and methods of payment,” Hundeyin explained. Over two weeks, various sums were demanded, ranging from $500,000 to as low as N30,000.
The breakthrough in the case came on Thursday, June 20, 2024, when detectives from the Lagos State Police Command busted a short-let four-bedroom apartment in Lekki, where Collins and five of his schoolmates (one male, four females) had been staying for the past 10 days.
While the investigation is ongoing, the police are working to determine the level of involvement of the other five individuals found in the apartment. Hundeyin emphasized, “For now, none of the suspects has been exonerated.”
