Four suspected fake officials of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been arrested in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The suspects were said to be planning to abduct their victim to collect âŚ150m ransom from their victim.
They were paraded on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
Briefing journalists in Uyo, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, identified the principal suspect as Emmanuel Akpayak.
He said Akpayak masterminded the kidnap of the would-be victim whom he owed over âŚ12m, as he tried to extort money from him, and subsequently kill him to evade repayment of his debt.
The three other suspects were Echem Ovurizichi Weneka, Promise Udofia and Jeremiah Johnson Okon.
According to the CP, the investigation revealed that Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak had arranged for the kidnapping and killing of the would-be victim by engaging men on arms and procuring an EFCC vest/uniform for the operation.
He disclosed that the victim was invited and a search was conducted at the principal suspectâs house, where four pairs of EFCC vests were recovered.
âInformation 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 N150 million and also kill the victim, thereafter, but the Operation was foiled. Suspects will have their day in court,â the CP said.
Addressing journalists, the principal suspect, claimed that the intending victim was his business associate to whom he owed some money but hired â boysâ who were issuing threats to him.
He noted that attempts to make his associate come to a round table discussion failed hence, he resorted to getting an EFCC vest from an online vendor to give to his syndicate who posed as officials, to arrest the man and force him to bring âŚ150m as he alleged that the would-be victim is rich and into internet fraud.