The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspected fake Economic Financial Crimes Commission agents who were intending to kidnap and demand N150 million from their victim (name withheld).
On Monday, the Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, paraded the suspects alongside other suspects at the command headquarters in Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
He said the principal suspect, Emmanuel Akpayak, masterminded the kidnap of the would-be victim, whom he owed over N12 million, in order to extort money from him and then kill him to avoid repayment of his debt.
He identified the suspects as Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak’m’, Echem Ovurizichi Weneka’m’, Promise Udofia’m’, and Jeremiah Johnson Okon’m’.
According to the CP, “Investigation revealed that Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak had arranged for the kidnap and killing of the would-be victim by engaging men on arms and procuring EFCC vest/uniform for the Operation.
“Victim was invited and a search was conducted at the principal suspect’s house where four pairs of EFCC vests were recovered. Information at hand indicates that the suspect transacted the business of selling cars with the would-be victim and owed the victim about Twelve Million Naira (N12,000,000.00), inorder to evade the repayment of debt, the suspect hired armed men to kidnap, extort the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N150,000,000.00) and also kill the victim thereafter but the Operation was foiled. Suspects will have their day in court.”
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In an interview, the prime suspect, Akpayak, stated that the intended victim was a business associate to whom he owed money but had hired “boys” to threaten him.
He stated that attempts to get his associate to attend a round table discussion failed, so he obtained an EFCC vest from an online vendor and gave it to his syndicate, who posed as officials to arrest the man and force him to bring N150 million, claiming that the would-be victim is wealthy and involved in internet fraud.
