The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old housewife and her 30-year-old accomplice for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and extorting N2.5 million from her husband.
Confirming the arrest in a statement issued on Saturday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the case began on 24 November when the husband of the suspect, who resides in South Africa, contacted the police through one of its emergency lines to report that his wife had been abducted by armed men.
According to Adebisi, the caller explained that the alleged kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N10 million, later reducing it to N3 million. He eventually paid N2.5 million, but his wife was not released.
“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Command Special Squad immediately deployed human and technical assets to track the alleged kidnappers.
The supposed victim was eventually released and reunited with her family,” Adebisi said.
During police debriefing, the woman claimed she had been abducted by six armed men in a silver Toyota Venza, taken to their hideout, and dispossessed of her iPhone 12 Pro Max.
She further alleged that the ransom paid by her husband was first credited into her bank account before being handed over to the kidnappers.
However, police investigations revealed inconsistencies in her account. On 3 December, operatives apprehended her accomplice in Ede, Osun State, and recovered a SIM card used to register the WhatsApp account through which ransom negotiations were conducted.
“During interrogation, the accomplice confessed that the suspect requested the use of his SIM card to create the WhatsApp account used for the ransom negotiations. He admitted providing the one-time password (OTP) sent to his line, which enabled her to operate the account,” Adebisi said.
Confronted with the evidence, the woman admitted to faking her own kidnapping to extort money from her husband. Further investigation led to the recovery of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which she had earlier claimed was stolen.
The phone was traced to a 34-year-old man who told investigators he bought it from the suspect for N380,000 after being warned not to insert any SIM card into it.
Adebisi confirmed that investigations were ongoing and that both the suspect and her accomplice would be charged to court upon conclusion of the inquiry.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, condemned the act, warning against false reporting and criminal deception. He stressed that such actions divert critical security resources.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents to remain law-abiding and to report suspicious activities promptly.
The police reminded the public that emergency numbers remain available for use: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264 and 08039344870.
