The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has apprehended four individuals impersonating officers of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). These suspects were involved in a plot to kidnap a person and demand a ransom of N150 million.

Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara, disclosed the names and ages of the suspects: Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak, 27, Echem Ovurizichi Weneka, 27, Promise Udofia, 28, and Jeremiah Johnson Okon, 38.

The principal suspect, Emmanuel Akpayak, was identified as the mastermind behind the attempted kidnapping. He owed the would-be victim over N12 million from a business transaction.

Investigations revealed that Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak orchestrated the kidnap and intended to kill the victim. He recruited armed men and procured EFCC vests to disguise them as official operatives. The victim was lured into a situation where a search at Akpayak’s residence led to the discovery of four EFCC vests.

The police found that Akpayak was involved in a car sales business with the victim and owed him about N12 million. To evade repaying this debt, Akpayak plotted to kidnap the victim, demand a ransom of N150 million, and then eliminate him. The operation was successfully foiled by the police.

In an interview, Akpayak admitted that the victim was his business partner, whom he owed money. He claimed that the victim had hired people to threaten him over the debt. After failed attempts to settle the matter amicably, Akpayak decided to impersonate EFCC officers by purchasing EFCC vests online and giving them to his accomplices. These accomplices were supposed to arrest the victim and force him to pay N150 million as ransom.

The Commissioner also presented suspects involved in defrauding POS operators in Uyo metropolis and its suburbs.

A detailed statement from the Command explained an incident where a POS operator, Glory Uko Okon, from Afaha Ikot Obio Nkan Village, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, reported that three men, Donald Ita Nyong, Rex Clement Uso, and Kingsley Mathias Joekim, visited her POS stand at Udo Udoma Avenue in Uyo. They pretended to make a withdrawal of N10,000. During the transaction, one suspect gave her N3,200 to deposit into an Opay account, which failed three times. Under pressure from the suspects, she handed over her POS machine to them to enter the account number. The suspects then withdrew N320,000 from her machine and quickly fled in their car. The police arrested the suspects, who confessed to the crime.