The Ogun State Police Command confirmed on Tuesday that one Olumide Openaike, a staff member of a microfinance bank, Kemta Oloko, reported to have been missing and found in Mokwa, Niger State, staged his abduction over N1.7 million debt.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, confirmed this to Newsmem in Abeokuta on Tuesday.
The wife of the banker, Temitope, had told journalists how his husband, Olumide, went missing on January 17 on his way to his place of work.
Mrs Openaike had, however, on Thursday told our correspondent, “I am happy to tell you that my husband has been found in a place called Mokwa in Niger State. He called me on Tuesday afternoon.
“He got the phone from one of the residents there because he said those who abducted him collected his phone. We then told him to make a report at the polic station there; the police officer on duty who spoke to us said he was in Mokwa.
“Transportation money was then arranged and sent to him; he got to Ibadan yesterday, Wednesday, where he slept, and his family members are at Ibadan. He will be back to Abeokuta today.”
The police have, however, described the reported abduction of the banker as fake and an incident that never happened.
Confirming the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta, Odutola said, “The police found out that the banker, Olumide Openaike, faked his abduction over a N1.7 million debt.
The money actually belongs to the bank where he works.
“What happened was that a customer was remitting the money to the bank, but Openaike was diverting it into personal use.
He said he then got depressed and decided to fake his abduction. He is already detained by the police.”