Lagos Police through detectives attached to Area-D-Command, Mushin on Saturday foiled an attempt to kidnap a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, her younger brother and her son.

Acting on the directives of the CP Imohimi Edgal, the Area D Commander assembled a decoy team, which played along with a caller who had been calling Barrister Yisa Theophilus, the younger brother of the female officer.

A quick check by police on the caller’s identity revealed that he had a sinister motive. It was also discovered that aside from being a notorious criminal in the area, the caller, later discovered to be one Yomi Odudare, was into land selling business (Omonile), police then played along.

On the agreed date for the land deal, detectives went along with the younger brother of the female officer, Barrister Yisa Theophilus, whom he had been calling frequently. They met the suspect at a project site in Ajah, Lagos, called Fara-Park and he was promptly arrested.

The suspect confessed that he has never met the lawyer nor any member of his family. He said that the idea to kidnap Bar Yisa, his sister and her son came from one Olugbenga Kehinde Ojo, a former driver to the Deputy Comptroller’s uncle.

He added that the idea was to kidnap the lawyer and force him to lure out his sister, who is a Deputy Comptroller of Customs. The suspect called Olugbenga Kehinde Ojo to inform him that he had successfully kidnapped the lawyer. He rushed to the scene and he was immediately arrested.

The suspects took the police to a shanty surrounded by water in Eleko, along Lekki/Epe Expressway which they prepared as a hostage ground for their would-be victims.

Mr Edgal advised Lagosians to be wary of people who call them out for lucrative business deals as it might turn out to be a ploy to kidnap or harm them.

He added that the Command would remain proactive in the fight against crime in the state.