Lagos fake kidnapping uncovered as police arrest five suspects over a staged schoolboy abduction used to extort ₦1.7 million

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five suspects over a Lagos fake kidnapping involving a schoolboy, exposing a carefully staged plot designed to extort money from the boy’s family.

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The arrests were made on December 17 and 18, 2025, following investigations into a viral video that appeared to show the schoolboy pleading for his life inside a kidnappers’ hideout.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Abimbola Adebisi, said the case was initially reported as a missing person incident at the Ago Palace Police Division on November 26, 2025.

Adebisi said police inquiries later revealed that the alleged abduction was deliberately orchestrated by the victim, Victor Aligwo, aged 15, working with four accomplices.

According to the police, the suspects used the room of one of the accomplices, Umeh Victor, to simulate a kidnapping environment and record the distress footage.

The suspects were identified as Kosiko Patrick, 17; Victor Aligwo, 15; David Odudu, 19; Anyabike Kingsley, 20; and Umeh Victor, 19. They were arrested in the Volkswagen Roundabout and Ago Palace areas of Lagos.

Investigators said the group planned the act after learning that Aligwo’s mother had recently received ₦4 million from a contribution, targeting her for ransom.

“To make the fake kidnapping appear real, the suspects recorded and circulated a distress video showing Victor Aligwo pleading for help, creating fear and panic to compel his family to pay ransom,” Adebisi said.

Police said a ransom of ₦1.7 million was paid by the boy’s mother and transferred to the bank account of one of the suspects, before being shared among the group.

The breakthrough came after officers traced the Point-of-Sale terminal used for the transaction, leading to the swift arrest of all those involved.

Adebisi said investigations are continuing and that the suspects will be charged to court once inquiries are concluded.

Reacting to the development, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, issued a stern warning to criminal elements, assuring residents that the command remains resolute in protecting lives and property.

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The police also stressed that the incident was not a genuine kidnapping, urging the public to remain calm, go about their lawful activities and promptly report any suspicious behaviour.