Crime
How Sisters, Couple Staged Fake Kidnap To Extort N5m From Their Father In Abuja
A dramatic case of family betrayal has come to light in Abuja after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command arrested two sisters and a married couple for staging a fake kidnapping to extort N5 million from their father.
The incident began when Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, reported that his 16-year-old daughter, Lead Way Innocent, had gone missing on July 18, 2025.
According to his statement, the teenager left home to write an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, but never returned.
READ MORE: Tension In Delta As Kidnappers Seize Two Ogwashi-Uku Poly Students
Soon after, he received a phone call from an anonymous number demanding N5 million for her release.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer of Jikwoyi Division launched a covert investigation. The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jikwoyi Division immediately launched a discreet investigation,” Adeh stated.
Utilizing digital tracking and intelligence gathering, officers traced the ransom phone number to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II. When police operatives arrived at the location, they found Lead Way in the company of a woman identified as Mrs. Tina Mayowa.
“Operatives stormed the identified location and found Lead Way Innocent in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. Both individuals were seen eating and conversing freely, indicating no signs of distress,” the police revealed.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Lead Way’s elder sister, Joy Innocent, and her boyfriend, Mr. Mayowa Adedeji who is legally married to Tina. Authorities later discovered that the entire abduction was fabricated.
“Findings revealed that Joy conspired with her boyfriend, who is legally married to Mrs. Tina Mayowa, to stage the kidnapping of her younger sister, Lead Way Innocent, in a calculated attempt to defraud their father of N5 million,” the statement read.
To the shock of many, police also confirmed that the 16-year-old was not just a passive victim she actively participated in the scheme.
“It was further uncovered that Lead Way Innocent was not only aware of the plan but was an active participant. She willingly stayed with the suspects throughout the period of her alleged abduction, while Joy remained at home and feigned ignorance, watching her parents’ anguish and emotional distress as they struggled to raise money for the supposed ransom,” the police said.
FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, condemned the act and described it as a serious breach of trust within the family unit.
He said, “This is a betrayal and manipulation, particularly one perpetrated within the family.”
The Commissioner advised parents to maintain strong communication with their children and monitor any suspicious changes in behavior.
All four suspects are currently in police custody and have reportedly confessed to the crime. They will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation.
The police urged members of the public to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods promptly, to help prevent similar incidents.
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected cultist, Kingsley Odo, who allegedly travelled to the state to avenge the death of his brother.
The suspect was intercepted by operatives of the Safer Highway patrol team during a routine stop-and-search operation on a commercial bus along Ife Road.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Oyo State Police Command, DSP Ayanlade Olushola Olayinka, said the operatives recovered a locally made, cut-to-size pistol and a cartridge during a search of the vehicle.
SEE ALSO: Oyo Police Begin Probe Into Abduction of Pastor’s Daughter In Ibadan
Olayinka said further questioning revealed that the suspect had travelled to Oyo State to carry out a revenge killing over his brother’s death.
“Further questioning revealed that he had travelled all the way from Anambra to Oyo State to carry out a revenge killing,” he said.
He added that the suspect had been arrested and was undergoing investigation to establish his connections and determine the extent of his alleged activities.
“All thanks to God and the good effort of the men of the Safer Highway, he was intercepted, arrested, and is currently undergoing investigation to know his connections and how wide it is,” Olayinka said.
Suspect Recounts Brother’s Death
During an interview following his arrest, Odo said the incident stemmed from the death of his brother in 2021, when he was working in Benue State.
He explained that his brother was schooling in Nsukka, Enugu State, when he received information that someone had killed him.
“It was in 2021. I was working in Benue State, so I had information that my brother, who was in school in Nsukka, had just died in the school, that somebody killed him in the school,” he said.
Odo added that his mother died a few weeks after his brother’s death.
He said he subsequently received information that the person allegedly responsible for his brother’s death was living in a southwestern state.
“So, last month, I had information that the boy is living in a state, a Yoruba state. So, I said okay, I will find out that place where he is living,” the suspect said.
He explained that he was travelling from Nsukka towards Oyo State when police operatives intercepted and arrested him.
When questioned about whether he knew the exact location of the person he intended to confront, Odo initially said he did not know the particular state but confirmed that he was heading to Oyo State.
“The information is with me,” he said, suggesting that he had information that could help him locate the individual.
Suspect Says He Bought Pistol for ₦20,000
When questioned about the firearm recovered from him, Odo said he purchased the pistol from a friend for ₦20,000.
“I bought it from my friend,” he said.
Asked what his friend did with firearms, the suspect said the individual might be a hunter.
“I don’t know, maybe he’s a hunter. A hunter who kills with pistol? Yes, he has this one and long, so he was the one that sell this one for me, 20,000,” he said.
Suspect Confirms Membership of Vikings Confraternity
During the interview, Odo was also questioned about reports that his deceased brother belonged to a cult group.
He said he could not confirm whether his brother was a member.
“Maybe he belongs, maybe he did not belong, because I was not there with him,” he said.
However, when asked whether he belonged to a cult group himself, the suspect answered in the affirmative and identified the group as Vikings.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the suspect’s connections and determine whether other individuals were involved in the alleged planned revenge killing.
Police Rescue Three Kidnap Victims in Taraba After Sustained Pressure
The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed the rescue of three kidnapped victims in Taraba State following sustained pressure mounted by its rescue teams.
The victims were identified as Otuwe Torhumba, 37; Kenneth Nyiutse, 35; and Michael Emmanuel, 27.
The Force made the disclosure on Saturday, October 3, 2026, in its 24-hour operational update covering security operations recorded across the country on October 2.
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According to the Police, “Due to sustained pressure by Police rescue teams, three of five kidnapped victims — Otuwe Torhumba (37), Kenneth Nyiutse (35) and Michael Emmanuel (27) — were rescued unharmed and reunited with their families.”
The Police said the three victims were rescued unharmed and subsequently reunited with their families.
The Force did not provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the abduction or the whereabouts of the remaining two victims in the operational summary.
The case is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Jalingo.
The rescue was among several operational successes recorded by the Nigeria Police Force during the reporting period.
The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed the rescue of an 86-year-old man and his son after they were allegedly detained by suspected members of the Axe Men confraternity in Cross River State.
The victims, identified as Dominic Columbus Udoh, 86, and his son, Emmanuel Columbus Udoh, 40, were rescued by Police operatives on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The Police made the disclosure on Saturday, October 3, in its 24-hour operational update detailing security successes recorded across the country.
SEE ALSO: Benue: Police Repel Bandit Ambush, Recover Locally Fabricated Gun
According to the Force, Police operatives were mobilised to the scene after receiving information that suspected Axe Men confraternity cultists had unlawfully detained the two men.
The Police said the suspected cultists fled from the scene when operatives arrived.
The Force stated that officers, with assistance from neighbours, “forced open the locked apartment,” where the two victims were found.
According to the Police, both victims had sustained facial and chest injuries.
They were subsequently rescued and conveyed to the Police Hospital for medical treatment.
The Police said the incident is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Calabar.
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