31-year-old Jimmy Odyek, a resident of Ocukuru Village, Boroboro Parish, Adekokwok Sub County is being held at Lira Police station after faking his own kidnap with a target to extort Shillings 2.5 million from his relatives.
According to David Ongom Mudong, the North Kyoga Region Police spokesperson, Odyek took cover at a friend’s home and made several phone calls to his relatives on August 5th 2018 claiming to have been kidnapped by unknown armed persons from Uhuru bar in Lira Town.
The suspect also narrated to his relatives that the dangerous kidnappers wanted a ransom of Shillings 2.5million to release him or else end his life. However, a neighbor rushed to police and reported a kidnap case, prompting the officers to swing into action.
On Monday this week, Odyek's relatives deposited the ransom money on his mobile, before he walked to the Police station a few minutes later, claiming his captors had released him.
“That gentleman just wanted some money, he said he had some debts he wanted to clear and his family members refused to give it to him. He went to his friend’s place and called the family that he had been kidnapped, after they had sent him money, he came to police and said he had been released by the kidnappers. But the money was still on his phone. So after interrogation, we found out he had been lying” Ongom said.
Odyek now faces charges of obtaining money by false pretense contrary to section 305 of the penal code Act, and remains locked up at Lira Central Police Station pending the return of his file from the Resident State Attorney.