Police uncover wave of fake kidnappings, ransom scams in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command says it is monitoring social media platforms to uncover and tackle a wave of staged kidnappings in parts of the state.

The command said several viral videos of alleged abductions that triggered fear and ransom payments were later discovered to be carefully orchestrated scams.

Abimbola Adebisi, spokesperson of the command, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday.

Adebisi said CP Olohundare Jimoh had deployed tactical squads and anti-crime units to strengthen rapid response across the state.

She said area commanders and divisional police officers had also been directed to engage community leaders and residents to improve intelligence gathering.

“The command is also closely monitoring reports on social media and other platforms to promptly verify and address any incidents that may cause public anxiety,” she said.

Adebisi said the police had recently recorded several cases of fake abductions and extortion.

Her words: “One such case involved a 26-year-old housewife whose supposed abduction set off alarm bells across borders.

“Her husband, living in South Africa, received frantic reports that armed men had kidnapped his wife in Lagos. The ransom demand was steep, N10 million, before it was negotiated down to three million naira. Hoping to save his wife’s life, he paid N2.5 million, yet she was not released.

“It was that inconsistency that triggered deeper police scrutiny; a special squad of the Lagos State Police Command was deployed, and what they uncovered was not a hostage situation, but a carefully choreographed scam.”

Adebisi said investigations revealed that the woman staged the kidnapping with the help of an accomplice in Osun state, who supplied the SIM card used to negotiate ransom on WhatsApp.

She said the alleged victim later confessed and admitted that the iPhone she claimed was stolen during the abduction had already been sold.

“In a related development, the command apprehended five suspects aged between 15 and 20 years for orchestrating another fake kidnapping that went viral on social media,” she said.

Adebisi said investigations showed that a 15-year-old boy staged his own abduction in the Ago Palace area of Lagos with the help of four friends to extort money from his mother.

“A ransom of N1.7 million was paid before detectives traced the transaction through a POS terminal, leading to the arrest of the suspects,” she said.

She said the case, initially reported as a missing person incident on November 26, 2025, triggered widespread panic before the truth emerged.

Adebisi said the police also apprehended a young couple for allegedly faking the wife’s kidnap to extort N10 million from relatives and friends.

She said investigations showed the plot was motivated by financial hardship and the husband’s failed attempts to return to the United States.

Adebisi said the scheme unraveled at a school in Cappa, Lagos, after security personnel became suspicious and alerted the police.

She said the 19-year-old wife admitted planning what she described as a “prank kidnapping”, claiming she had “acted” to help her husband cope with frustration over his travel plans.

Adebisi urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, stressing that security is a shared responsibility.

She warned the public against false reporting, criminal deception, and acts capable of diverting critical security resources.

Adebisi advised families to establish internal verification codes, maintain regular communication with loved ones, and verify distress calls before taking action.

“Avoid rushing to transfer money without confirmation and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency numbers: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264 and 08039344870,” she said.