FCT Police have arrested four people, including two sisters, for faking a kidnapping to extort ₦5 million from their father.
The 16-year-old “victim” was found safe, and all suspects confessed to the planned family betrayal.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested four people for staging a fake kidnapping to extort ₦5 million from an elderly man. The plan was reportedly led by his two daughters in collaboration with others.
According to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, the case started when a man named Mr. Innocent, who lives in Jikwoyi Phase II, reported that his 16-year-old daughter, Lead Way Innocent, went missing. He said she left home on July 18, 2025, to write an exam at Government Secondary School in Karu but never returned.
A few days later, Mr. Innocent received a call from someone demanding ransom for his daughter’s release. He quickly reported the matter to the Jikwoyi Police Division on July 30.
Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer began a discreet investigation. With the help of intelligence and tracking tools, officers traced the phone number used to call Mr. Innocent to a house in Jikwoyi Phase II.
Police visited the location and found Lead Way Innocent safe, sitting and chatting with a woman identified as Mrs. Tina Mayowa. Officers noted there were no signs of distress or danger.
Further investigations revealed that the alleged victim’s older sister, Joy Innocent, and her boyfriend, Mr. Mayowa Adedeji, were behind the plan. Mr. Adedeji is reportedly married to Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the woman found with Lead Way.
Police say Joy and her boyfriend conspired to fake the kidnapping. Lead Way, who was supposed to be the victim, was fully aware of the plan and stayed with the group during the entire period. Meanwhile, Joy remained at home pretending to be unaware, as their father worried and tried to raise money for the ransom.
All four suspects have been arrested and, according to police, have confessed to the crime. They will be charged in court once the investigation is complete.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Sunday Adewale, condemned the incident, especially because it involved betrayal within a family. He advised parents to monitor their children closely and maintain open, honest communication at home.
He also warned that using family ties to commit crimes would be met with the full force of the law.
