The Edo State Police Command has detained a 21-year-old dispatch officer, identified as David Ekes, for orchestrating a fake kidnapping after he lost a substantial sum of N1.3 million that belonged to his employer and a client through online gambling on a betting site.
According to a statement released on Monday, February 9, 2026, by the command's spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the suspect traveled to Abuja following his monetary loss. He sold his phone, checked into a hotel, and intentionally staged his own abduction to conceal his financial mistakes.
The suspect was initially reported as missing by his family on January 27 when his motorcycle was found abandoned along a road.
During the police's investigation, Ekes returned voluntarily, claiming he had been kidnapped by three unknown assailants who forced him to trek barefoot through the forest for three days. He also alleged that his mobile phone was confiscated and that withdrawals were made from his First Bank account during that time.
The police stated, "The Edo State Police Command has exposed a planned kidnapping after receiving a missing person report concerning an employee from Dibecs Industry Limited, located at Km 162, Auchi-Okene Expressway, Okpella."
On January 30, 2026, at around 4:00 PM, Moses Ekes, an employee of Dibecs Industry Limited, reported to the Okpella Police Division that his 21-year-old nephew, David Ekes, a dispatch officer with the company, had been missing since the evening of January 27.
The report indicated that David Ekes departed his residence alone on an unregistered black motorcycle, violating company policy, and had not been seen since. Eventually, the motorcycle was located parked near Factory 3 and was returned to the company's headquarters.
Following the report, police officials from the Okpella division promptly investigated the area and initiated a search of the nearby bush, documenting all relevant discoveries.
Remarkably, on January 31, 2026, information surfaced indicating that Ekes had returned on his own and appeared weakened. He was subsequently taken to a hospital in Okpella, where police officers monitored his condition.
Upon his release from the hospital, he initially maintained that he had been kidnapped. However, further investigation uncovered that between January 25 and January 26, 2026, he had lost a cumulative total of N1,308,000.00 through online bets. Following this, he traveled to Abuja, sold his phone, checked into a hotel, and staged the kidnapping to hide the financial loss. The suspect has confessed and is set to be prosecuted as a warning to others.
CP Monday Agbonika, the Commissioner of Police for Edo State, cautioned the public against submitting false emergency reports and committing acts of deception, emphasizing that such behavior erodes public trust and squanders vital resources in security. He also encouraged young individuals partaking in gambling to do so responsibly, as the risks of addiction can drive individuals to desperate and criminal actions.
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