Anambra State Police Command has taken into custody Chukwuma Obi, 32, of Umuagu Village, Igboukwu, Aguata Local Government Area, concerning a suspected case of attempted kidnapping and extortion.
Tochukwu Ikenga, a police spokesperson, said that members of the Anti-Cultism Squad, Enugu-Ukwu, were arrested on Tuesday.
The defendant is charged with threatening to kidnap someone to obtain a ransom of N1.2 million.
The victim said that someone posing as a member of the illegal Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) sent them a threatening message, threatening to kidnap them unless the ransom was paid into a designated.
“The suspect admitted to the crime during questioning and is currently helping the police identify and apprehend other members of the gang involved in the criminal activities,” the statement read.
The arrest comes after a similar instance late last month when the command caught a pair who were extorting victims and sending threatening communications under the pretence of planned kidnappings, it claimed.
Police claimed the duo acknowledged destroying SIM cards used in their illegal activities and confessed to their crimes.
To guarantee that offenders are caught and justice is done, Commissioner of Police Nnaghe Obono Itam reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to see all cases through to the end.
He underlined how important such initiatives are to stopping additional criminal activity and guaranteeing locals’ safety and security.
