The Lagos State Government on Thursday approved the immediate suspension of the Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, Chief Yusuf Ogundare, for allegedly faking his kidnap earlier in the month.
The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem disclosed this when Ogundare, alongside his younger brother Mohammed Adams, alleged to have connived with him, were paraded at the State House in Alausa.
Kazeem described the act as despicable, against the background of the ongoing efforts to ensure the release of the six students who were abducted from the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla on May 24.
The Attorney General, who said the weight of the law would be brought to bear on conclusion of investigations into the fake kidnap saga, also used the occasion to appeal to the abductors of the Igbonla students to release them without any condition.
He said on conclusion of investigations, the recently passed Lagos State Anti-kidnapping law which had provisions stipulating punishment for fake abduction would be applied.
The Commissioner, who pointed out that a lot of resources were being expended by government to keep the state safe, noted that the anti-kidnapping law was enacted to deal with such situations.
Explaining how the fake abduction was allegedly carried out, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said Adams had reported the alleged kidnap of his brother to security operatives.
According to him, during investigations, some discrepancies were found in the reports made by Adams and Ogundare’s spouse.
Owoseni said that it was discovered that the community leader was travelling round some states in the South West during his alleged kidnap.
He said that investigations revealed that they embarked on the act to embarrass the State Government for installing the Oba of Shangisha, Oba Jamiu Yusuf instead of Yusuf Ogundare, who had been parading himself as Oba.
Owoseni said it was sad that people expected to uphold the traditional values and stand as custodians of tradition and culture could stoop so low.
He urged members of the public to always furnish security operatives with information, as all security agencies in the state were on their toes.(NAN)
FAA/SOA