The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a graduating student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Helen Kayode, for allegedly staging her own kidnap to spend time with her boyfriend.
The police announced Helen’s arrest yesterday, saying her action reportedly caused panic across Iworoko-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, following a message she sent to her sister on May 1, claiming she had boarded the wrong bus and was kidnapped.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, the viral message led to public fear and disrupted the otherwise calm security situation in the state, reports The Guardian.
Abutu stated that Helen said she was kept and held hostage in an uncompleted building surrounded by bushes.
Abutu lamented that the information went viral on social media, causing some reactions that undermined the security and peaceful atmosphere currently being enjoyed in Ekiti State.
Investigations by the police revealed that the lady was not kidnapped but instead spent the night with her boyfriend before travelling to Lagos.
“The suspect confessed during investigation that she sent out the false information to enable her to stay back in Ado-Ekiti to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend, who promised her a ‘surprise package’,” Abutu said.
“The student said that her parents told her to return to Lagos against her wish due to the birthday party.”
The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, condemned the incident, warning that those who spread false information would face the full force of the law.
Eribo said the suspect would be charged to court after investigations and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining peace in Ekiti.
