The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested four men accused of impersonating officers of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Akwa Ibom.
Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara said the suspects were planning to abduct and collect a ransom of N150 million from a victim.
The alleged fake EFCC operatives are Emmanuel Augustine Akpayak, 27, Echem Ovurizichi Weneka, 27, Promise Udofia, 28, and Jeremiah Johnson Okon, 38.
According to Ayilara, the principal suspect, Emmanuel Akpayak masterminded the kidnap of the would-be-victim whom he owed over N12 million.
He said; “Investigation revealed that Emmaneul Augustine Akpayak had arranged for the kidnap and killing of the would-be victim by engaging men on arms and procuring EFCC vest/uniform for the Operation.
“Victim was invited and a search was conducted at the principal suspect’s house where four pairs of EFCC vest were recovered.
“Information at hand indicates that the suspect transacted business of selling cars with the would-be victim and owed the victim about Twelve Million Naira (N12,000,000.00), inorder to evade the repayment of debt, the suspect hired armed men to kidnap, extort the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N150,000,000.00) and also kill the victim thereafter but the Operation was foiled.”
While speaking with journalists during the parade at the state police HQ, Akpayak claimed that the intending victim was his business associate
He claimed the victim hired “boys” that were issuing threats to him and attempts to make his associate to come to a round table discussion failed hence he resorted to getting EFCC vest from an online vendor and gave to his gang members who posed as officials of the anti-graft agency to arrest the man and force him to bring N150 million as ransom.
