LAGOS COUPLE ARRESTED FOR STAGING OWN KIDNAP, EXTORTING N10M FROM FAMILIES
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
A Lagos-based couple, identified simply as Fred and Goodness, have been arrested for allegedly staging their own abduction and extorting ₦10 million in ransom from their families and friends.
The couple was said to have faked the kidnapping on January 7, 2026, in a bid to raise funds to enable the husband return to the United States after financial support from sponsors failed to materialise.
A police source disclosed on Thursday that the suspects contacted relatives from both sides of their families, claiming they had been abducted and demanding ransom for their release. Believing the claims, the families reportedly raised ₦10 million within three days.
According to the source, the couple jointly planned the act after the husband expressed frustration over his inability to secure funds for travel. “They decided that by staging a kidnap, they would be able to raise money from friends and family,” the source said.
Another police source revealed that the suspects arranged for the ransom to be delivered at a school in Cappa, Mushin area of Lagos. However, operatives monitoring the area became suspicious after observing the woman enter the premises alone, while the man arrived separately moments later.
Suspicion deepened when both suspects later emerged together carrying a bag. Upon being stopped and searched, operatives discovered the ransom money inside the bag, leading to their immediate arrest.
Investigations further revealed that the wife allegedly encouraged and persuaded her husband to go along with the plot. The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police, where further inquiries confirmed that the incident was a self-orchestrated kidnapping.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Addebisi, confirmed the arrest, stating that the couple would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The incident adds to a growing list of self-kidnap cases uncovered by law enforcement. In December 2025, a 26-year-old woman, identified as Misturah, was similarly arrested for allegedly staging her own abduction and extorting ₦2.5 million from her husband under the guise of a kidnapping.
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