Four individuals, including Lawyer, remanded for alleged fake kidnapping, extortion
In a recent development, Taiwo Segun (37), a legal practitioner, along with three accomplices, will be detained at the Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan until October 25, over accusations of orchestrating a fabricated kidnapping and attempting to extort N9.3 million.
The decision was handed down on Wednesday by Mr. M.O. Mudashiru, the presiding judge at the Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan.
The court ruling stipulated that Taiwo Segun and his co-conspirators, namely Olorunfemi Olakunle (38), Adams Danjuma (36), and Azubuike Agu (35), must remain in custody pending further instructions from the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution.
The accused individuals were arraigned on eight charges, including conspiracy, extortion, fraudulent activities, providing false information to law enforcement, and fraud.
Mr. M. O. Ojeih, the prosecution counsel, highlighted that the suspects collaborated in fabricating a scenario of self-kidnapping for personal gain.
According to Ojeih, “Olorunfemi Olakunle falsely informed the police that he had been kidnapped with the intention of extorting N7 million from Babatunde Adebayo, Stephen Haastrup, and Adejoke Adeleke.”
Ojeih further detailed that the accused individuals submitted a misleading petition to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police on May 24, falsely claiming that Olorunfemi had been abducted and that the alleged kidnappers had transferred N9.3 million from his bank account.
Furthermore, Adams Danjuma, the third accused, was implicated in defrauding Hamzat Ibrahim of N700,000 using a similar pretext. Danjuma posed as a Chief Superintendent of Police and purported to be a Personal Assistant to a former Inspector-General of Police in his dealings with the victim.
The charges levied against the accused are in violation of the Oyo State Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law of 2016 and the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State (2000).
Chief Magistrate Mudashiru refrained from entertaining any pleas from the accused and ordered their confinement in the correctional facility.
