Helen Kayode, a final-year student at Ekiti State University (EKSU), has been taken into custody by the Ekiti State Police Command for allegedly faking her own kidnapping in order to spend time with her boyfriend.
According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria, the incident sparked alarm across the Iworoko-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti areas after Helen sent a distress message to her sister on May 1. In the message, she claimed to have mistakenly boarded the wrong bus and had been abducted.
The Police Command stated that the message, which quickly spread across social media, generated widespread panic and temporarily disrupted the peaceful environment in the state.
“She claimed she was being held in an incomplete building surrounded by bushes,” said Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, during a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti.
Further investigation, however, revealed that Helen was never kidnapped. Instead, she had spent the night with her boyfriend in Ado-Ekiti before traveling to Lagos.
During questioning, she admitted that the kidnapping story was fabricated so she could stay behind and celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend, who had promised her a special surprise. She also revealed that her parents had instructed her to return to Lagos, which she did not want to do.
Commissioner of Police Joseph Eribo strongly condemned the act, warning that anyone found guilty of spreading false information would face legal consequences. He confirmed that the student would be prosecuted and reaffirmed the command’s dedication to ensuring safety and maintaining public order across the state.
