The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested four persons, including two sisters, for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping in a plot to extort ₦5 million from their father.
The incident came to light after the complainant, Mr Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, received a call from unknown individuals claiming to have abducted his 16-year-old daughter, LeadWay, and demanding ransom for her release.
However, following coordinated intelligence and digital tracking, police operatives traced the phone number used in the call to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II, where LeadWay was found unharmed in the company of Mrs Tina Mayowa, the wife of one of the suspects, Mr Mayowa Adedeji.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of LeadWay’s elder sister, Joy, and her boyfriend, Mayowa Adedeji, who allegedly conspired to stage the abduction in order to extort money from the victim’s father.
Police said LeadWay was fully aware of the plot and willingly stayed with the suspects during the period she was reported missing.
All four suspects are currently in custody and have reportedly confessed to the crime.
They will be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
Reacting to the incident, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, condemned the act as a “betrayal of trust and manipulation within the family,” and urged parents to be more attentive to the emotional wellbeing of their children.
He further encouraged families to promote honest and regular communication as a means of preventing such incidents.
