A forty-three (43)-year-old man who claimed to be a lawyer has been ordered to be remanded in Minna Federal Correctional Custody on the orders of Chief Magistrate Number 3 Halima Balaraba for alleged self-kidnapping and impersonation.
Samuel Idu, an indigene of Benue State, was arraigned by operatives of the Special Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (SIIB) of the Niger State Police Command on four counts of charges that bordered on criminal breach of trust, cheating, arrangements for self-kidnapping, and false representation for a kidnapped person.
According to the police prosecutor, ASP Emmanuel Bassa, the four counts of charges contravened sections 312, 323, 324, and 309 of the penal code law and sections 6 (1) and (2) of the Niger State Anti-Kdnapping and Cattle Rustling Act 2018, as amended.
In the Police First Information Report, marked Mn/Cr/95/23, it is stated that on October 19, 2023, Deborah Omeiza of Brighter Group of Companies in Minna reported via referral from Chief Magistrate Court Three that on July 30, 2023, Samuel Idu of Sun City Estate in Abuja (FCT) presented himself to her as a Barrister and also an American citizen, knowing fully that it was a false claim and lured her into a marriage relationship by inducing her into believing that he was a responsible person.
"That while dating her, you deliberately lied to her that you travelled to the United States of America (USA) and United Arab Emirate (UAE) Dubai, and on different occasions, you deceitfully obtained monies from her up to the sum of N5,400,000 through your First Bank account number, 3068701165, to solve some pressing problems under the pretence of paying back when you return to Nigeria.
"And in furtherance, you claimed you had arrived at International Airport Abuja and falsely represented yourself as being kidnapped and needed N10,000,000," the charge sheet explained.
The prosecutor further told the court that the defendant said he had about N6,900,000 and demanded the sum of N3,100,000 from the plaintiff to complete the payment of the ransom, and when she could not get the money, she sent him N100,000 through his bank account "which you dishonestly converted to your personal use".
Police operatives swung into action through intelligence and arrested him in Senate Hotels in Kaduna State, and during the police investigation, he confessed to having faked his kidnapping and deceitfully collected the said amount of money from the complainant under false pretence in order to enrich himself wrongfully."
When the charge was read to the defendant by the presiding Chief Magistrate, Halima Balaraba, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Asp. Emmanuel Bassa, then requested a new date for further mention of the case, and he prayed to the court to remand him in correctional custody.
While granting the prayer of the prosecutor, she then remanded him and adjourned the case until November 9.