Kidnapping: Police arrest Dangote’s impostor

From Matthew Aramude, Lagos

Sequel to the kidnapping of one Sa’adat Usman Bibire, a beauty pageant and daughter of the Special Adviser to the Kwara State Governor on Political Matters, the Lagos Police operatives have arrested one Patrick Ifada, who with other members poised to be Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Facebook, defrauding people over brand ambassadorship.

A brief by the Lagos state Police Command in Ikeja yesterday had it that the kidnappers who are students of Delta state University were able to kidnap the victim, Sa’adat, when they poised as Alhaji Aliko Dangote on Facebook and offered to make her Brand Ambassador of Dangote Noodles.

It was further gathered that the victim, thereafter, proceeded to Warri in Delta state from Lagos to meet the fake Aliko Dangote and was subsequently kidnapped, while the sum of 20 million ransom was immediately demanded from her father. The father was directed to transfer the ransom to a bank account in Malaysia.

A Police source who spoke on the police effort to arrest the perpetrators, said the Lagos state Commissioner of Police, CP Aderanti Kayode, having received the information, directed the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), led by SP Abba Kyari to launch a massive hunt and track the whereabouts of the victim and the kidnappers. In the process of investigation, some frequent callers on the victim’s phone number were tracked and credible information was extracted to help trace the criminals.

It was, however, gathered that immediately, two decoy teams were deployed to Warri where the team’s seven days’ meticulous follow-up led to the victim’s rescue in a house on the outskirt of Uzoro town, in Isoko-South local government area of Delta state, while one Patrick Ifada, who was keeping watch on the victim was arrested.

The commissioner of Police Lagos, Kayode Aderanti, while speaking on the unpleasant incident thanked the GSM network providers for adequate support given to the police during the investigation.