41-year-old man arrested for faking kidnap to evade payment of N1m debt

The operatives of the Amotekun Corps in Ogun State have arrested a 41-year-old man, Enitan Awoyemi, for allegedly faking his own abduction at Irolu in the Remo North Local Government Area of the state.

The Amotekun Commander in Ogun State, Alade Adedigba, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

Adedigba said Awoyemi’s intention was to evade financial obligations.

Adedigba said Awoyemi’s wife, Tope, at about 9 a.m. on Sunday reported at the Amotekun Irolu outpost that her husband had called her, claiming to have been kidnapped.

He said the “kidnapping” was done the previous day by unidentified individuals.

The Amotekun commander noted that the wife of the 41-year-old man said the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N5 million for his release.

He added that upon receiving the report, the Amotekun intelligence team commenced an investigation into the matter.

Adedigba said: “Findings from the investigation revealed that Enitan Awoyemi had accumulated substantial debts related to gambling in a lotto game, amounting to a staggering N1 million.

Teenage student arrested for faking own abduction

“Awoyemi, who is a regular player of the game, had previously won N6 million from the same game, using portions of his winnings to purchase a Toyota Corolla Sports car and a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle for commercial purposes.

“Faced with the inability to repay his debts, he resorted to fabricating a kidnapping scenario.

“But, through collaborative efforts with the Vigilance Group of Nigeria (VGN) and other community stakeholders, Enitan was traced to Ijagba town and later Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area.”

Adedigba disclosed that Awoyemi was later arrested at the Irolu Okada park in the early hours of Wednesday during routine patrol operations by the Amotekun officers.

He said upon being apprehended, the Amotekun operatives noted a strong smell of insecticide from the 41-year-old man, raising concerns about an attempted suicide.

“He was swiftly transported to Rufina Private Hospital in Iperu for medical attention,” the Amotekun commander added.

Adedigba said once Awoyemi is discharged from the hospital, he would be handed over to the police for further investigation.

He stated that the Corps was committed to maintaining law and order, exposing deceitful activities and protecting residents of Ogun State.

The Star