By Desire Emmanuel
A dispatch rider who staged his own kidnap after losing the sum of N1.3 million company’s money to an online betting has been arrested by men of the Edo State Police Command.
The dispatch rider, David Ekes, aged 21 years, working with Dibecs Industry Limited, located at Okpella, along the Auch-Okene highway, was arrested shortly after he came out of hiding.
It was gathered that one Moses Eke reported at the Okpella Divisional Headquarters that David, his nephew, was missing.
According to the report lodged, David left his quarters in the company alone on a motorcycle from Factory 2 to Factory 3, contrary to company policy, and was not seen or heard thereafter. The motorcycle was later discovered parked along the road leading to Factory 3 and subsequently recovered and taken to the company’s main office.
Following the report, operatives of the Okpella Police Division visited the scene, conducted a search of the surrounding bush area and documented relevant findings, while investigation commenced immediately.
However, in a turn of events, information was received that the supposedly missing person had returned on his own and was reportedly weak. He was taken to a hospital in Okpella, where police operatives visited and monitored his condition.
Upon his discharge, he initially wrote his statement alleging that he was kidnapped by three men, forced to walk barefoot through the forest for over three days, during which his mobile phone was taken and funds withdrawn from his bank account.
The discrete investigation carried out by the operatives, however, revealed that between January 25 and 26, David lost ₦1.308 million belonging to his company through online gambling on a popular sporty betting platform.
After losing the money, he was said to have travelled to Abuja, sold his mobile phone, lodged in a hotel, and staged his own kidnap to cover up the financial loss.
According to the command in a statement on Monday, February 9, during his interrogation, he confessed that he staged his own kidnap after he lost the company’s money to gambling. He is expected to be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation.
