The operatives of the Western Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, in Ondo State, have arrested two female pupils for allegedly faking their kidnap and demanding N100,000 ransom from their mother.
The two female pupils, aged 13 and 15, were said to be in JSS 1 and JSS 3.
The Ondo State Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, while parading the suspects alongside 26 others at the command’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, said the pipils hid somewhere in Oka-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state, and called their mother and the traditional ruler of the community pretending to be kidnappers who abducted them and demanded a sum of N100,000.
Adeleye said: “Their parent raised the alarm that their children were kidnapped and we swung into action but when they called for ransom we tracked the number and we were able to arrest them.
“We appreciate the Department of State Service (DSS) for assisting us in apprehending them.
“When they were negotiating, they even threatened the traditional ruler that if the ransom was not paid within two hours, they will kill the victims without knowing that they are the criminals perpetrating the act.”
He added that 26 other suspected criminals were arrested by the corps for involving in various crimes ranging from kidnapping, rape, illegal possession of firearms, cultism, and housebreaking, among others.
The Amotekun commander said: “Again, we have people who kidnapped themselves and raised alarm but upon our diligent investigation, we were able to unravel the mystery surrounding their disappearance to the extent that they confessed.
“We equally have kidnap suspects of some very high profile individuals in the society that we are working on.
“We have a few cases of another possession of firearms, cult activity, housebreaking but in all, as soon as we complete investigation, they will be charged to court while on light offences, we will explore the alternative of dispute resolution.”
