The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has apprehended four individuals including two sisters for staging a fake kidnapping in a bid to extort N5 million from their father.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the incident began when a man identified as Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, reported his 16-year-old daughter, Lead Way Innocent, missing. She had reportedly left home on July 18, 2025, to write an exam at Government Secondary School, Karu, but never returned.
Shortly afterward, Mr. Innocent received a phone call from unknown persons demanding N5 million in ransom for his daughter’s release.
Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jikwoyi Division launched an investigation. Through intelligence and digital tracking, officers traced the call to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II.
There, police discovered Lead Way Innocent in the company of Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. Both were found eating and chatting casually, showing no signs of duress.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Lead Way’s elder sister, Joy Innocent, had conspired with her boyfriend, Mayowa Adedeji despite his marriage to Tina to stage the abduction in a plot to defraud their father.
Police said Lead Way was fully aware of the scheme and actively participated. She willingly stayed at the hideout, while Joy pretended to be unaware of her sister’s whereabouts, watching her parents endure emotional trauma as they tried to gather the ransom.
FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, condemned the incident, describing it as a “deep betrayal,” particularly because it was orchestrated within a family.
He urged parents to pay attention to their children’s emotional and behavioural wellbeing and to encourage open communication at home.
All four suspects are currently in custody and have confessed to the crime. They will be prosecuted upon completion of the investigation, police confirmed.
The FCT Command also called on residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
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