By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested an 18-year-old teenager while attempting to collect a N20 million ransom following a threat to the lives of residents of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of the state.
The arrest was disclosed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, on Tuesday, April 7, at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.
Tijani said the arrest followed a decoy operation by police operatives following a complaint from residents of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area concerning a threat to life and a demand for N20 million.
According to him, the suspect was arrested on March 27 and was in possession of items, including an HP laptop and a flash drive.
He said, “Acting on the information, operatives were immediately deployed to track and apprehend the suspect.
“The suspect was apprehended on March 27 while attempting to collect the ransom during a sting operation.
“Items recovered from him include an HP laptop and a flash drive, which are currently being examined as part of ongoing investigations.”
According to the commissioner, the suspect confessed to the crime and also admitted involvement in a previous attempted burglary at a commercial bank.
He added that the arrest was part of the command’s intensified efforts to combat kidnapping, extortion, and related violent crimes across the state.
Tijani assured that investigations were ongoing to uncover possible accomplices and establish the full extent of the suspect’s criminal activities, adding that the suspect would be prosecuted upon completion of investigations.
