Lagos Police Label Claim of Kidnappers in Army Uniform as False … Describe Victim in Viral Video as Scaremonger

Femi Ashekun/

The police in Lagos have described as false the claim by a yet-to-be-identified man about his ordeal in the hands of suspected kidnappers who abducted him and other passengers in the Lekki area of Lagos State

The victim, in a viral video yesterday, said he boarded a commercial bus to the Iyana-Oworo area of the state, but in the course of the journey, discovered that he had fallen into the hands of suspected kidnappers.

Initially, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, in his reaction to the video, said an in-depth investigation had begun regarding the matter.

He said, “The Lagos State Police Command is not unaware of the video making the rounds about the presence of some criminals in the Lekki area of Lagos. An in-depth investigation has commenced.

“The command will leave no stone unturned towards ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors to Lagos State. All human, material, and operational resources have been duly and optimally deployed to achieve this.”

But in a tweet this afternoon, Hundeyin said preliminary investigations have shown that the man’s claims were unfounded, while describing his action as “scaremongering.”

In the same vein, the police image-maker appealed to the man to assist the police in their investigation. He also enjoined the public to report any suspicious occurrences to the police.

Hundeyin said, “Preliminary investigations so far reveal that every claim in the video is false.

“While investigation is ongoing, we encourage the man to show up to assist the Police with the investigation.

“Meanwhile, Lagosians are enjoined to go about their lawful businesses without succumbing to the antics of scaremongers.

“If you see something, say something!”

In the said video, the stated, “I got into a bus heading to Iyana Oworo and noticed this weird smell. Anybody who has been in a military training or setting will know about gasses that knock people off. I knew that was what it was, so I spat in my handkerchief and used it to cover my nose.

“In about five to 10 minutes, every other passenger in the bus had fallen asleep except members of the team who had all used nose masks to cover their noses.”

So, we started exchanging words. I was not rude or anything but begging them that they should have my phone, a Samsung Galaxy S22 which costs N1.3m and could still be sold for N800,000.”

The victim said he also offered them his Automated Teller Machine card for them to empty his account as well as his gold necklace but they refused to let him disembark from the bus until they got to where he would be killed and his body dismembered.

He said, “The bus then parked in a dark path under Adeniji Bridge before they brought me out. They started using cutlass, knives and different weapons on me. I am an African man and I am fortified. When they discovered that the knives, dagger and cutlasses were not cutting my body, about three of them held my neck and another two held my hands to the back and they put a knife on my neck to slaughter me but it wasn’t penetrating.”

The man said when the attempt to slaughter him failed, the suspects’ leader, who spoke in Hausa language, ordered three men in army uniforms to start using their boots to hit his head as he laid on the ground.

In the video, the victim, whose face was swollen and could be seen, coughing out blood as he claimed to be bleeding internally, said he almost lost consciousness during the attack.

He said, “So, I reached out for my bag which was on the ground, reached for a knife inside the bag and started waving it recklessly. In the process, it cut one of them in the tummy, one in the neck and another in the eye. They started bleeding profusely.

“Their leader told them that they had gotten the rest who were asleep and they should deliver them and leave me that at the end of the day I would die from all they had done to me. All the people I just talked about were Northerners. These people have even entered Lagos State,” he added.

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