Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have rescued a 38-year-old Ivorian national, Kacou Alleby, in Ogun State after what first appeared to be a kidnapping incident was uncovered as a staged abduction to extort ransom from his family in Côte d’Ivoire.
The rescue followed a distress request received on 12 September 2025 from INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, on behalf of Ivorian authorities.
Acting on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, IRT operatives launched a swift, intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of Angela Arisa, 28, also an Ivorian national, in the Matogun area of Ogun State.
Her arrest led investigators to a hideout in an estate in Olambe, Ogun State, where Alleby was found and rescued unharmed.
However, subsequent investigations revealed that Alleby and Arisa had conspired to fake the kidnapping, producing torture videos and voice notes to pressure Alleby’s family in Abidjan into paying a ransom.
Police say efforts are ongoing to track down other accomplices who helped create the fake footage.
The Nigeria Police described the act as a serious crime under Nigerian law, warning that self-kidnap undermines public safety and damages the country’s reputation.
IGP Egbetokun reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to ensuring all those involved face the full weight of the law.
