The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four suspected fake Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officers while planning to abduct and collect a ransom of N150m from their victim name (withheld).
Parading the suspects alongside other suspects at the command headquarters in Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday, the Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, said the principal suspect, Emmanuel Akpayak, masterminded the kidnap of the would-be victim whom he owed over N12m as he tried to extort money from him and subsequently kill him to evade repayment of his debt.
He listed the suspects to include one Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak ‘M’ aged 27years, Echem Ovurizichi Weneka, ‘M’, aged 27years, Promise Udofia ‘M’ aged 28 years and Jeremiah Johnson Okon ‘M’ 38 years.
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 the EFCC vest/uniform for the operation.
“The victim was invited and a search was conducted at the principal suspect’s house where four pairs of the EFCC vest were recovered. Information at hand indicates that the suspect transacted a business of selling cars with the would-be victim and owed the victim about N12m.
“To evade the repayment of the debt, the suspect hired armed men to kidnap, extort the sum of N150m and also kill the victim thereafter but the operation was foiled. Suspects will have their day in court,” he said.
The principal suspect, Akpayak, claimed that the intending victim was his business associate whom he owed some money, but hired “boys” who were issuing threats to him.
He noted that attempts to make his associate come to roundtable discussions failed hence he resorted to getting the EFCC vest from an online vendor to give to his syndicate who posed as officials to arrest the man and force him to bring N150m, saying that the would-be victim was rich and into Internet fraud.
