Akwa Ibom State Police Command has apprehended four suspected fake Economic Financial Crimes Commission officers while planning to abduct and collect N150 million in ransom from their victims.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, paraded the suspects alongside other suspects at the command headquarters in Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, on Monday.
He said that the main suspect, Emmanuel Akpayak, planned the kidnapping of the potential victim, to whom he owed over N12 million, as he attempted to extort money from him and then kill him to avoid paying back his debt.
The suspects he mentioned were 27-year-old Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak “m,” 27-year-old Echem Ovurizichi Weneka “m,” 28-year-old Promise Udofia “m,” and 38-year-old Jeremiah Johnson Okon “m.”
“The 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). In order 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.”
The main suspect, Akpayak, stated in an interview that the intended target was a business associate he owed money to but who he had hired “boys” to threaten him.
He said that after his attempts to get his associate to attend a roundtable discussion failed, he turned to his syndicate, who pretended to be officials, to arrest the man and demand N150 million, alleging that the potential victim is wealthy and engaged in online fraud.
The Commissioner of police also displayed suspected advance fee scammers who have been defrauding Uyo’s point-of-sale (POS) operators.
“On 21/06/2024 at about 7:00 pm, one Glory Uko Okon ‘f’ of Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan Village, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, called in through the emergency hotline and alleged that one Donald Ita Nyong’m’, Rex Clement Uso’m’, and one Kingsley Mathias Joekim POS syndicates came to her POS stand at Udo Udoma Avenue Uyo, pretended to make a withdrawal of N10,000, and while she made the withdrawal to the suspects, one of the suspects gave her N3,200 to deposit into an Opay account, which she tried three times, and the transaction was unsuccessful. The suspects mounted pressure on her, which made her give out the POS machine to the suspect’s to type in the account number before she could realise it.
“The suspects had withdrawn the sum of N320,000.00 from her machine and quickly jumped into their waiting car and zoomed off. Suspects were arrested; they all made useful statements and have confessed to the crime.”
The police chief further exposed child trafficking organisations by claiming that, based on intelligence, the command apprehended Michael Emmanuel Edet “m,” Ability Henry Tom “f,” and Uwem Udoh Moses “f” from their hiding places on Ibesikpo and Aka Etinan Road.
They were accused of robbing a 12-year-old boy (name withheld) while he was selling groundnuts along Oron Road and transporting him to Ovum Community in Obingwa, L.G.A. Abia State.
He stated the infant was sold to one Loveth Nkwankwo “f” of Ovum Community, Obingwa L.G.A., for four hundred thousand Naira (N400,000).
In addition, he revealed that the victim and others were rescued and that additional investigation resulted in the arrest of the aforementioned Loveth Nkwakwo in Abia State.
He stated that the suspects admitted to the crime and pledged to assist in the capture of other members of their syndicate who were on the run.
Ayilara reminded the people of Akwa Ibom to always give the police valuable information that would aid in the elimination of crime and criminal elements in the state, noting that all suspects would face charges in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Commissioner promised to do everything in his power to maintain law and order in the state, even as he thanked Governor Umo Eno for his tremendous support of the police.
