Teacher 24, fake own kidnap

By Saka Laaro, Ilorin

Kwara state Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old lady, Medinat Ibrahim, for faking her own kidnap, alongside two other accomplices.

The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Lawal- Bagega, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Ilorin, the state capital, while parading the suspects.

Represented by the Command’s Spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi, the CP said the suspects  would be charged for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.

According to the CP, one Nurudeen Sholagberu reported the alleged kidnap of Medinat Ibrahim at Oko -Olowo area of Ilorin through the Command’s emergency telephone line, saying he quickly directed the newly constituted state anti-kidnapping team to take over the investigations.

Lawal-Bagega explained that during investigations it was discovered that the said Medinat conspired with her sister Amudalat Wahab to arrange her own kidnap, adding that a bank account belonging to one Hammed Lekan was used to pay in the ransom of N100,000 out of the N200,000 that they demanded.

The Commissioner further disclosed that during interrogation the said Medinat Ibrahim confessed to have faked her own kidnap to enable her get money from her father.

He assured residents of the state of the determination of the Command to send away criminal elements from the state.

Fielding questions from journalists,  Medinat said she decided to fake her own kidnap to enable her get money to offset debts she incurred during COVID-19 lock down.

She said: “My business has collapsed and the school I was working as a teacher in a private school, they didn’t pay our salary for several months.”

Medinat Ibrahim attributed her predicament to the maltreatment she received from her stepmother since she lost her mother.