FCT Police Arrest Two Sisters, Accomplices Over Staged Kidnapping for ₦5m Ransom

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested four individuals, including two sisters, for staging a fake kidnapping to extort ₦5 million from their own father.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Josephine Adeh.

According to the statement, the incident was reported on July 30, 2025, at approximately 11:30 a.m., when one Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, approached the Jikwoyi Police Division. He reported that his 16-year-old daughter, Miss Lead Way Innocent, had left home on July 18 to write an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, but failed to return. Days later, he received a phone call from unknown individuals demanding ransom for her release.

The police immediately launched an investigation. Using intelligence and digital tracking, officers traced the phone number used to make the ransom demand to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II. Upon arrival, they found Lead Way Innocent in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, who is married to Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. The two were seen calmly eating and conversing, showing no signs of duress or danger.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Miss Joy Innocent, elder sister to the supposed victim, and Mr. Mayowa Adedeji, her boyfriend and husband to Tina Mayowa. Police found that Joy had conspired with her boyfriend to stage her younger sister’s kidnapping, in a deliberate scheme to defraud their father.

Shocking revelations confirmed that Lead Way Innocent was fully aware of the plot and actively participated in it. She voluntarily stayed with the suspects throughout the supposed abduction period, while her sister Joy remained at home pretending to be unaware—watching as their parents struggled emotionally and financially to respond to the fake ransom demands.

All four individuals have confessed to the crime and are currently in police custody. They will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Sunday Adewale, psc, mnips, described the act as a serious betrayal of trust and an abuse of family bonds. He urged parents to pay close attention to their children’s mental and emotional wellbeing and to promote open, honest communication within the home.

“The Command will not tolerate any attempt to exploit familial relationships for criminal purposes. Offenders will face the full weight of the law,” the CP warned.

The public is encouraged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the police via 0803 200 3913 or 0806 158 1938.