P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects have been arraigned before the Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, presided over by M.O. Mudashiru and remanded at the Ago Correctional Centre, Ibadan.
They will remain in custody till 25th October, 2023, for allegedly faking a kidnap and extorting N9.3 million pending advice from the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution.
The Police arraigned the defendants on eight-count charge of conspiracy, extortion, obtainment, giving false information to the Police and fraud.
The Prosecution counsel, M. O. Ojeih, told the Court that the suspects allegedly aided and abetted one another in a self-kidnap scheme.
“Olorunfemi Olakunle unlawfully lied to the Police to have been kidnapped for the purpose of extorting N7 million from Babatunde Adebayo, Stephen Haastrup and Adejoke Adeleke,” Mr Ojeih told the Court.
He added that the defendants false information to the Police through a petition they wrote on 24th May, 2023, to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police which was false.
Mr. Ojei said the defendants claimed in the petition that Mr. Olorunfemi was kidnapped and that the kidnappers transferred N9.3 million from his bank account while third defendant, Mr Danjuma, allegedly defrauded one Hamzat Ibrahim of N700,000 on the same issue.
Mr. Ojei further explained that Mr. Danjuma presented himself to his victim as a Chief Superintendent of Police and a personal assistant to a former Inspector-General of Police. The prosecutor stated that the offences contravened the Oyo State Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law (2016) and the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State (2000).
The Court did not take their plea. They were ordered to be remanded in correctional center pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.