The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested four suspects, including two sisters and a married couple, for allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping to extort ₦5 million from the girls’ father.
The scheme came to light after Mr Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, reported to the Jikwoyi Police Division that his 16-year-old daughter, Lead Way Innocent, had gone missing on July 18, 2025.
According to the father, the teenager had left home to sit for an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, but never returned.
Shortly after her disappearance, Mr Innocent received a call from unknown persons demanding a ransom of ₦5 million for her release.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, FCT Police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh said the Divisional Police Officer immediately launched a discreet investigation, combining intelligence gathering and digital tracking.
The phone number used to contact the complainant was traced to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II.
“Operatives stormed the identified location and found the supposed victim, Lead Way Innocent, in the company of one Mrs Tina Mayowa, wife of Mr Mayowa Adedeji,” the statement read. “Both were seen eating and chatting freely, with no signs of duress or captivity.”
Further investigation led to the arrest of Lead Way’s elder sister, Joy Innocent, and Mr Mayowa Adedeji, who is legally married to Tina Mayowa.
According to the police, Joy and her boyfriend Mayowa conspired to stage the abduction in an attempt to fraudulently obtain ₦5 million from their father.
Lead Way was also found to be an active participant in the plot.
“She willingly stayed with the suspects during the entire period of her alleged abduction, while her sister Joy remained at home pretending to be unaware, even as their parents frantically tried to raise the ransom,” Adeh said.
FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, described the act as “a grave betrayal, particularly disturbing because it was planned and executed within a family.”
He urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s emotional and behavioural changes, and to promote open, honest communication at home.
All four suspects are currently in police custody and have confessed to the crime. They will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
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The police also called on residents of the FCT to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to security agencies.
