The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old housewife and a 30-year-old male accomplice for allegedly orchestrating her own kidnapping to extort ₦2.5 million from her husband.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the command's spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the incident began on November 24th when the husband, based in South Africa, reported his wife's kidnapping via a police emergency line. He stated the kidnappers had initially demanded ₦10 million, later reduced to ₦3 million. After he paid ₦2.5 million, his wife was not released.
Following the report, the Command's Special Squad launched an investigation using technical and human resources. The woman was subsequently "released" and reunited with her family.
During police debriefing, the woman claimed she was abducted by six armed men in a silver Toyota Venza, taken to a hideout, and robbed of her iPhone 12 Pro Max. She also stated the ransom was paid into her bank account before being handed over to the kidnappers.
However, police investigations uncovered inconsistencies in her story. On December 3rd, operatives arrested her accomplice in Ede, Osun State, recovering the SIM card used to register the WhatsApp account for ransom negotiations.
The accomplice confessed that the suspect had requested his SIM card to create the WhatsApp account, and he provided the One-Time Password (OTP) needed to operate it.
Confronted with this evidence, the housewife admitted to faking her kidnapping to extort money from her husband. Further investigation led to the recovery of her alleged stolen iPhone 12 Pro Max from a 34-year-old man, who told police he bought it from the suspect for ₦380,000 with instructions not to insert a SIM card.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, reiterated the command's commitment to protecting lives and property. He warned the public against false reporting and acts that waste critical security resources.
Investigations are ongoing, and the suspects will be charged to court upon its conclusion. The police urge residents to report suspicious activities through their emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, and 08039344870.
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