The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has apprehended four individuals, including two sisters, over a staged kidnapping designed to extort ₦5 million from their father.
The incident was reported by the father, Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, who received a phone call from unknown persons demanding a ransom for the release of his 16-year-old daughter, LeadWay.
However, through coordinated intelligence gathering and digital tracking, the police traced the phone number used to contact the complainant to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II, where they found LeadWay in the company of Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji.
Further investigation led to the arrest of LeadWay’s elder sister, Joy, and her boyfriend, Mayowa Adedeji, who conspired to stage the fake abduction.
According to the police, Joy and Mayowa planned the kidnapping to defraud their father, while LeadWay willingly participated and stayed with the suspects throughout the period of her alleged abduction.
All four suspects are currently in police custody and have confessed to the crime. They will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, condemned the act, describing it as “an act of betrayal and manipulation, particularly one perpetrated within the family.”
He urged parents and guardians to pay close attention to their children’s emotional well-being and behavioral patterns and to encourage regular, honest communication at home.